


Through Pain And Memories

by Magnonette



Series: A lot can happen to Snufkin [4]
Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: Amnesia, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Injury Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-05-14 21:22:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19281439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magnonette/pseuds/Magnonette
Summary: It's a beautiful day in MoominValley, a perfect one for a hike in the mountains.Snufkin and Moomin decide to go explore but something happens, leaving Moomin feeling guilty and worried for his dear friend.Moomin will have to help Snufkin through some really hard times.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning : There is a little bit of blood but not too much.
> 
> So I've had this idea written down for weeks but had to finish the other fic I was working on first and take some time for myself. I'm happy to finally be able to write it but I don't know how long it will be and when I'm going to be updating it. It shoudn't take too long be I can't be sure.
> 
> I hope you will enjoy this first chapter!

It was a perfect spring day for a hike in the mountains. The weather was just warm enough to not be a bother, not a cloud in sight and just a gentle breath of wind. The storm from the previous day only present on the muddy path and the water dripping from the trees.

After a full day staying inside during the storm Moomin had been so excited to go out with Snufkin for some adventure in the mountains. Snufkin did tell him that they were just going to explore a little, nothing like a real adventure, but to Moomin every time spend with his best friend was an adventure no matter what happened.

They spend most of the day just walking and chatting. Moomin would occasionally see something new and get excited over it, while Snufkin would smile and laugh at his excitement. It was just another beautiful day in each other's company.

 

As they were making their way down a steep path, Moomin suddenly stopped walking. Snufkin stopped as well and observed the troll as he seemed to be focused on something further down on the right of the path. Moomin walked carefully closer to the edge, he could hear Snufkin's warning as he himself followed closer, probably to make sure nothing could happen to him. He was pretty sure he could see something on one of the side of the mountain but he wasn't sure what it was, maybe some kind of cave.

"Snufkin ! I think I can see a ca-" 

In his excitement, he didn't realise how close he had gotten to the edge. The rocks under him gave away in his sudden movement. He was falling. He felt a rush of panic take over him. But, before anything could happen, he felt something tug him back on the path. He hit the ground hard but at least he was safe. He quickly turned when he heard a yelp from behind him.

"Snufkin !" He desperately cried as he tried to reach out for his friend.

It was too late.

Snufkin had been able to get him back on the path just in time as the rocks under him as well gave away. 

Moomin watched in horror as Snufkin fell down, hitting the side of the mountain in his fall. It was so fast but Moomin could see every branch and rock he hit. Moomin desperately called out for his friend when he finally reached the ground. He hurried to where Snufkin was laying, unconscious. He took him in his arms, gently turning him to see his face.

Moomin gasped at the sight in front of him, his eyes were blurry from tears. Snufkin was still in his arms. He had never been so still before. His face was pale and red, covered with blood from all the cuts from the fall. His body was bruised. Parts of his cloak were torn, revealing red stains on his skin. His leg was clearly broken as it was bent at an odd angle and his arm seemed to be badly damaged as well. 

Moomin started to panic, calling out Snufkin's name, pulling him close to his chest. He tried to calm himself down enough to be able to think of the best thing to do. Fisrt, he needed to make sure he was still alive, as much as the thought scared him, he had to be sure. He tried listening for his breathing while putting a paw on his chest. He felt a little reassured to when he could feel the slight rise and fall of his chest under his paw, and he could hear a faint breathing. It wasn't much and it was worryingly weak, but at least he was breathing. He was alive.

Moomin sighed and tried wiping away the tears from his eyes and focusing on his friend's well being. He needed to take him home. He needed to have someone treating his wounds as quickly as possible. Moomin took a deep breath as he took the injured mumrik in his arms, pulling him up as he stood. 

He gasped again when he noticed the red stains on the side of Snufkin's head. It seemed to be a nasty wound. He shook his head and focused on running as fast as he could back to MoominHouse. He was glad his friend was so light as he was able to run while carrying him without much trouble.

 

When he got to the bridge, he started calling out to his parents as the panic took over him once more. MoominMamma hurried out to see what was wrong, stopping and putting her paws over her mouth as she saw her son carrying his injured friend in his arms. MoominPappa was next to her in a second and they hurried him inside.

MoominMamma immediately got to work, instructing Moomin to go get the guest room ready while MoominPappa and her fussed over Snufkin. Moomin obeyed, putting him down on the blanket MoominPappa had put on the couch, and going upstairs looking one last time at his friend before being sent away by his mother.

 

She didn't bother asking what had happened when she saw them arrived. She knew she had to treat Snufkin's wounds quickly. With MoominPappa's help they were able to take off his bloody cloak and pants. She asked MoominPappa to go look for clothes with Moomin in the closet and to keep him occupied while she worked.

It wasn't pleasant for her, having to see and treat the young wanderer she considered as her second son, but she had to be strong. She wasn't going to let her emotion bother her when she had to take care of him.

 

When she had finished, they redressed him with the clothes they had managed to find. She was still very worried as Snufkin's breathing was still very faint and some of the wounds were pretty bad. The one on his head was the most worrying for her. Who knew how much it would affect him when he would wake up. His leg was broken and his arm was dislocated and badly bruised as well. She had many reasons to be worried, but she tried to keep a calm and collected mind when her son was around. She couldn't have him more worried than he was already.

She tasked Moomin to carry Snufkin carefully to the guest room as she cleaned up the drawing room and sent MoominPappa to make them some tea. She noticed some bruises on her son's hands and knees when he appproached to carry his friend. She'd definitely have to ask him what happened and take a look at those when he would come back.

 

Moomin managed to put Snufkin in bed and pull the cover over him. He was relieved that MoominMamma had been able to help him but he was still unconscious and badly injured. The sight made Moomin sob quietly. He started to shake, unable to stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks and falling on the floor.

It was his fault.

He couldn't stop the thought going through his head. It was his fault. If only he had been more careful. He should have. He should have listened to Snufkin's warning. He shouldn't have tried to get a better look at whatever he was seeing by stepping closer to the edge. If only he hadn't been so stupid! He felt so guitly. He felt so mad at himself. He felt so stupid!

 

He was thrown back to reality when a gentle knock could be heard at the door. He tried to steady himself and wipe away the tears as MoominMamma opened the door and quietly came in. She saw him cry and approached him, pulling him in a warm hug. She had known he would blame himself with whatever made them come back like that. She had her idea over what happened too, but she wasn't going to press her son to tell her yet.

He cried in her arms for a while. She didn't move, she let him cry, gently rubbing circles on his back. She couldn't blame him. She had wanted to cry as well but she knew it would make him feel worst so she kept hugging him in silence. When he felt better, enough to stop crying, she let go of him and made him follow her downstairs. They sat at the table, drinking some tea. She sent MoominPappa to look over Snufkin, in case he woke up even if it wasn't likely to happen so quick, it was more to make Moomin feel reassured knowing someone was keeping an eye on his friend.

"So, she started with a gentle smile, what happened ?"

Moomin looked up at her, eyes filled with tears again. He told her everything. He told her how he had stepped too close to the edge and started falling, only to be saved by Snufkin. He explained how he fell because he had saved him. How he rolled down the mountain. How he was so still he thought he was dead. When he had finished, she pressed a kiss on his forehead, stroking the fur between his ears.

"It's not your fault dear." She had tried to comfort him.

"But it is! If I hadn't been so stupid he wouldn't have been hurt!" He snapped, tears rolling down his cheeks again. "What if he never wake up ? It will be my fault for making him fall instead of me !"

"Now calm down dear." She said with a serious but gentle voice, putting her paws on his shouder and looking him in the eyes. "It isn't your fault. It can happen to anybody. And I know that Snufkin didn't save you from falling to have you blaming yourself over it. What is important right now is that you are fine and you are with him. You can help him get better." She smile softly. "And I'm sure he'll be happy to see that you're alright when he wakes up."

Her words seemed to calm him a little. He nodded silently, wiping the tears from his face. Yes, she was right, he could take care of Snufkin. He knew his best friend would never want him to feel so bad about something like that. He still made a mental note to apologize to him whenever he would wake up.

 

After their discussion, MoominMamma took a look at his paws and knees before letting him go watch over Snufkin. He heard her explain the story to MoominPappa but ignored it, focusing on his friend. 

He could see the scratches and cuts on his face, a bandage was wrapped around his head, covering the worst wound. The cover was hiding the others injuries but he knew they were still there. His heart ached at the sight. He wanted to cry again. Seeing his dear friend so still and hurt was unbearable. He remembered what his mother had told him and forced himself to not cry. He had to be strong, for Snufkin.

 

The next days were passed looking after Snufkin and praying for him to wake up or at least to move. Mamma would force Moomin to come down to eat with them, trying to reassure him that he would wake up soon. She would always find the right words to make him feel a bit better but he knew under her calm expression that she was as worried as him.

Moomin had a hard time sleeping as he would only have nightmares about his friend. He would dream of the two of them happily walking down the mountain path, only to suddenly hear Snufkin's yelp from behind him. When he would turn around he would be met with the horrible sight of his friend falling down, hitting trees and rocks on his way. Then he was next to his body. He would take him in his arms, turning him over. His face was pale and covered with blood, his body bend in a weird position. He cried. His friend wasn't breathing. His heart wasn't beating. He was laying there, dead, in Moomin's shaking arms.

When Moomin would wake up, he would immediately go check on Snufkin, making sure he was still breathing. He would only then realise that he had been crying. He didn't want to cry so much but he couldn't help it as his friend refused to wake up. After the nightmare, he would just stay by his side and try to rest, focusing on Snufkin's breath to remind himself that he was still alive next to him.

After some days, Little My came back at MoominHouse, she had been spending some times with her mother for the past week. She was shocked when she learned what had happened and immediately joined Moomin in the guest room to take a look at her brother. Moomin was surprised to see her at first but he quickly returned his attention to the mumrik in bed. She jumped on his lap and sat there to watch with him. He didn't mind her as long as she wasn't doing anything that could hurt Snufkin.

The two sat there, looking at him for hours until Mamma called them for dinner. Little My jumped off him and hurried downstairs, not without looking one last time at her brother. Moomin followed hesitantly. He didn't like leaving him alone.

 

When he came back in the room, he hurried next to the bed. Little My had decided to leave him alone and go out to play in the grass. He sat down on the chair he had put next to the bed as he observed Snufkin. He frowned. He could swear he saw him move slighty.

He leaned a bit forward trying to watch for any movement. Snufkin moved his head slightly to the side, it was such a little move that if he wasn't focusing on him he would never have noticed. He gasped, it was a relief to see his friend move even if it was nothing more than that.

He continued to watch, hoping that maybe he would move again. And he did. Moomin could see the expression on Snufkin's face change. He watched as a frown settled on his face. His heart hurt as he realised that his friend was in pain. He couldn't really do anything about it but he tried to softly call out to him. Maybe he would finally wake up and then Moomin could probably be of help. At least he was hoping he could help.

"Snufkin ?" He asked quietly.

He watched as the other moved his head to the side, facing Moomin, and slowly opened his eyes. He gasped in excitement as Snufkin's eyes ever so slowly looked at him. He seemed to have trouble keeping them open and focusing on the moomin. When he finally did, a confused and scared look settled on his face.

"Oh Snufkin ! You're finally awake ! I'm so glad !" He exclaimed, finding difficult to not let tears fill his eyes. "How are you feeling ? "

The other stayed silent for the longest time, looking at the moomin and around him, trying his best not to move to much as his body hurt. He looked very confused.

"I brought you back home after you fell." He explained quietly as he noticed Snufkin's confusion. "Mamma took care of you but your leg is broken and your arm his dislocated. I'm sorry Snuf, it was my fault." He said looking sadly at his feet.

There was silence again, Moomin didn't dare to look up yet, he was feeling too guilty.

"Who... are you ?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> I hope you liked it !
> 
> Don't hesitate to drop a comment to tell me what you think about it so far.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so here is the next chapter.  
> I'm sorry I'm kind of slow. I'm having trouble writing at the moment but I will try to make it good and update it as quickly.

Moomin looked up in shock. He didn't say anything. It was as if the world around him suddenly shattered. He thought that his heart was going to explode. His eyes filled with tears without his permission.

"Where am I ? Who... am I ?" Snufkin continued looking around him, trying desperately to remember something, anything. The pain and confusion growing on his face.

Moomin suddenly realised what was going on. He wiped the tears away and tried to composed himself.

"Do you not remember anything ?" He asked slowly, his eyes filled with worry.

"No." Snufkin simply answered, looking at him with an apologetic look on his face.

There was an awkward silence in the room. Moomin didn't know what to do or say. His dear friend had obviously lost his memory. He was trying to think of something to help his friend remember but his mind was foggy. The sudden sound of Snufkin groaning from the pain pulled him back to the present.

"Oh ! I need to go fetch Mamma ! She'll know what to do!" He exclaimed as he stood up. "Don't worry ! We'll help you through this." He reassured with a gentle smile as he noticed his friend's worried look.

He didn't say anything more, leaving the mumrik's side as he hurried to go find MoominMamma.

 

Snufkin was left alone in the room. He couldn't help but to feel scared. He was in pain. His whole body hurt. He was weak and couldn't move a muscle. His leg and arm were the most painful aside from his head. 

It was a weird and scary feeling. He couldn't remember anything, not even his name. He presumed his name must be 'Snufkin' as the creature that had been next to him when he woke up had called him. He felt like he should know where he was. He should know who was with him just a second ago. He tried desperately to remember. Nothing came back. It was all dark in his mind. There was nothing. Trying to think made his head pound.

Who was he ? Where was he ? Who was the creature next to him moments ago ? Did he know them ? What had happened to him ? Why did his body hurt all over like that ? Why did he want to reassure the creature when he saw him looking so worried and guilty ?

He couldn't stop all the quesitons going through his head until the faint sound of the door opening made him snap out of it. He looked over, at least he tried without moving his head, to see another creature similar to the white one who accompanied her. Was it the 'Mamma' he had been told about ? Probably. She seemed familiar as well. Who were they ?

MoominMamma approached him with a cup of something in her hand. She put it down on the bedside table before turning to him with a warm and gentle smile.

Snufkin noticed that the other creature had left the room, leaving MoominMamma and him alone.

"Hello dear. " She said, calmly sitting next to him. "How are you feeling ?"

"It hurts." Snufkin answered truthfully as he got the feeling he couldn't lie to her and somehow knew he could trust her.

"I should think it would with those injuries. Don't worry, I made medicine for you, it should help with the pain." She explained pointing at the cup next to the bed. "Moomin told me you didn't remember anything is that true ?" Her expression seemed to change for a moment, from gentle to concerned, but quickly it became gentle again.

He hummed a quiet confirmation and watched as MoominMamma frowned, putting a paw to her cheek.

"Oh dear. I was afraid this would happened." She sighed but smiled reassuringly. "I'm MoominMamma. I'm the mother of Moomin. You're here in MoominHouse." She explained.

"Moomin ?" He seemed confused for a moment before realising, she was talking about the white creature from before.

"The boy you talked to when you woke up." She explained as he remerbered. "And your name is Snufkin. You're his best friend."

Best friend ? He couldn't help but feel sorry for Moomin. He did seem very worried over him and hurt when he realised he couldn't remember him. If MoominMamma was saying the truth about them being best friend, it must be horrible for him, seeing him like this.

She put her arm under Snufkin's shoulder, warning him she was going to help him sit up to drink the medicine and that the movement might hurt him. She was very gentle. He hissed as the pain run through his body. She held the drink to his lips, making him drink without moving too much. When he was done, she layed him back, adjusting his pillow to make sure his head would be comfortable and pulled the blanket back over his body.

"You shouldn't worry to much about you memories for now." She told him running her paw softly through his hair. "You should rest first and try to heal. Moomin will keep an eye on you. If you need anything you can just ask." She smiled at him with a warm and motherly smile.

He hummed in response. It felt so familiar yet so very confusing. The room, the people, everything was so familiar. Why couldn't he remember ? He shook the thought away. He had to rest as Mamma had told him. Yes, maybe if he rested enough he would be able to remember. 

He closed his eyes as MoominMamma left the room, letting Moomin in and instructing him to let him rest for now. He could hear her reassuring Moomin as he drifted off to sleep. He was too exhausted to stay awake and listen anyway.

 

Later that day, MoominMamma reunited Moomin and Little My in the drawing room to explain Snufkin's condition to them. Obviously Moomin already knew about it but she wanted to make sure the two knew how to handle it.

"So how's Snufkin ?" Little My asked, sitting on the couch next to Moomin.

"Well, he should be fine. " She started, trying to find how to phrase it. "But, he apppear to suffer from amnesia."

Little My made a shocked noise and Moomin simply look down. He still felt guilty despite his mother's constant reminder that it was not his fault.

"What he needs now is to rest." She continued. "He will need time to heal. You will need to be patient with him. "

"Is there any way we could help him Mamma ?" Moomin asked pleadingly. "There must be something we can do !"

She smiled softly at him. She knew he would ask this question.

"First you'll have to leave him rest, then when he feels a little better maybe you can tell him some stories about the adventures you had during the past years. "

"What if he doesn't get his memory back ?" Little My asked suddenly, an ounce of worry in her voice.

"He will !" Moomin cried. "Even if it takes time I'll make him remember !"

"If telling him about everything doesn't work, Mamma intervened, you could show him around. When he is better enough to go out of course. Maybe showing him the places he usually go to would help him." 

Moomin nodded. Yes, he would remember. Even if it takes months, he will remember. As long as Moomin was there, he would do anything possible to help his friend recover his memory. Of course, he also knew Little My wouldn't give up either. No matter how cold she could look sometimes, he knew she cared deeply for her brother. He knew she would try to help the best she could, in her own way.

"I'm sure if I take him to prank the park keeper he will remember immediately !" Little My joked, or so everyone guessed she was joking.

"Now dears, it's quite late already, you should go to bed. " MoominMamma smiled.

"Oh ! But, Mamma ! I wanted to stay with Snufkin until he woke up again !" Moomin complained.

"I know Moomin, but you should rest too. After all, now that you know he woke up, you should be able to sleep better. " She gave him a knowing smile.

Moomin made an embarrassed sound, blushing a little. Of course Mamma had known he had be restless since the accident. She knew everything. She always noticed every little thing. He sighed and nodded.

"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him for you." She kissed his forehead. "Now it's bed time you two." She said, turning to Little My as well.

Reluctantly the two went to their respective bedroom. Mamma returned to Snufkin's side. She smiled sadly, looking at her vagabond as he slept. It was hard on her as well but she knew she had to be strong. She couldn't show too much worry in front of the others. She also knew worrying too much would make everything worst, so instead she just sat there next to the bed, flipping through the pages of her book for any remedy that could help with Snufkin's injuries and memory. 

She spend some time searching and found some recipes that she would have to try. When she had finished going through the book, she decided to do some knitting to keep her mind from worrying.

 

When Snufkin woke up the next day, it was from a sudden pain in his leg. He groaned. His head still hurt, he didn't open his eyes yet. He could hear something, or mostly someone, moving and approaching him. He slowly opened his eyes. He was greeted by a soft smile.

"Hello dear. How are you feeling ?" MoominMamma asked gently.

He looked at her for a moment, processing the question. He wasn't sure what to say. A part of him wanted to lie and assure that he was fine but another part of him didn't want to lie to MoominMamma.

"My leg hurts." He finally said, frowning as the pain seemed to increase.

MoominMamma hummed quietly as she pulled the blanket, uncovering his leg. She inspected it closely, making sure not to touch it as to not hurt the mumrik more. When she couldn't see anything wrong she pulled the blanket back gently.

"You must have moved it without realising it." She explained calmly, turning to put her gentle and furry paw on his head. "I'll go make some medicine for the pain. Do you need anything else ?"

He shook his head slowly. She smiled at him before heading out.

Snufkin was left, alone with his thoughts and his pain. He still felt tired, despite sleeping for what was probably a long time. He tried to ignore the pain as he tried to think over what he knew and what he could vaguely remember.

He was in a room in Moomin House. The Moomins leaved here and apparently he was rather close to them. MoominMamma was the one that took care of his injuries. She was nice and gentle, she always kept calm or at least she would look calm in front of other. She was someone he felt like he could trust.

He was supposed to be Moomin 'best friend'. He couldn't say much about him as he didn't remembered anything and hadn't seen him much yet. He could only tell that he seemed like someone who really cared about him. He remembered wanting to comfort the young troll when he saw how worried and guilty he looked. Maybe they really were friends after all. Not that he doubted it much, but the idea of having someone as a best friend seemed somehow quite improbable for him.

He could remember a little more about himself. He knew he was called Snufkin and he remembered being a vagabond. He knew he liked to travel a lot. He could remember having a harmonica and how he liked to play it. He knew he liked being alone and felt trapped as he was stuck inside. He tried to not think about it as he knew it wouldn't help his condition. Thinking about that, he really couldn't tell what had happened to him, and just thinking about what might have caused those injuried made his head pound. 

He knew he would have to stay in bed for quite a while as his leg was broken and hurt him badly. His arm would heal quicker but it was still dislocated and would also take some time to heal. He was covered in cuts and bruises, at least that's what he could tell from what he could feel. And there was his head. It was really painful and he could feel the bandage wrapped around it. He must have hurt it badly to the point where he would suffer from amnesia he thought. This worried him, he knew he was someone that was careful, or at least that's what he could remember, so what on earth could have made him like this.

He thought back about what the troll had said the day prior. He said something about it being his fault. He had apologized for whatever had happened, saying it was his fault. Snufkin felt something in his chest hurt remembering the guilty look on Moomin's face.   
He could say he didn't like the idea of staying in one place because of his injuries, but he also hated the idea of the troll being upset over something because of him. He could never blame him for whatever it was that had happened. How could he blame someone like Moomin for anything ?   
He felt bad thinking he was the cause of such distress for him. He would have to say something to him, to make sure he stopped blaming himself. It didn't matter that he couldn't remember, he didn't liked seeing Moomin like this and he had to do something about it.

 

MoominMamma opened the door, snapping Snufkin out of his thoughts. She came in, a cup of medicine and of tea, with a bowl of soup, on a tray in her paws. She put the tray on the bedside table before explaining calmly that she needed to make him sit up so he could drink and eat.   
The idea of being moved didn't really sound pleasant and eating wasn't something he wanted to do but he knew he had to. 

He nodded, letting her help him sit up slowly, moving him as little as possible. She quickly arranged the pillows behind his back so he would be more comfortable. The whole process was obviously painful but thanks to Mamma's gentle nature it wasn't as bad as it could have been. 

She placed the tray on his lap and started to help him eat. It felt very embarrassing, to not be able to feed yourself, but he could understand why she wouldn't leave him to do it himself. Even if his other arm was not as damaged, it still hurt him to move it. Moving any of his members hurt. He was grateful to MoominMamma for helping him so much.

He couldn't help but wonder, as Mamma was feeding him, how he could have find such an wonderful family and how he could have befriended any of them. For what he remembered, he was never the kind to talk much with other, even less to stay around and become their friends. So, how was he able to become close to those moomins ?

"Is there anything wrong Snufkin ?" Mamma asked, handing him his medicine.

He shook his head. How awkward it would be to ask them about all these things. It would probably hurt them if he asked how he met them and how he became friend with them. He couldn't do that. He could tell how much they cared about him and how much he didn't wanted them to feel hurt.

"Don't worry about your memory. It will come back when you're better." She said as if she could hear his thoughts. "We'll help you remember."

He wondered how they would do that but he somehow trusted them to do it. It was weird how much he trusted them. He would usually always do everything on his own, that was something he knew, but here, with this family, it seemed as if he didn't have to worry about anything. He felt safe. Being cared for and fussed over wasn't something he liked but, if it was them, he felt he could bear it.

He thanked MoominMamma when he had finished eating and she helped him lay down again. The process was more painful than the one of sitting up. His leg was extremely painful. Mamma made sure to put a pillow under it so it would be better but it took some times for the pain to lessen.

MoominMamma announced that she was going to leave him but that Moomin would probably come look after him. She didn't mentioned Little My though she knew she would probably come too. She smiled warmly, pressing a kiss on his forehead before going. It wasn't something he was used to, that was for sure, but he found that he didn't mind. He tried resting a little before Moomin would come as he was still very tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and for everybody that left kudos and that commented.  
> I hope it wasn't too bad. Don't worry he shouldn't get more hurt. :)
> 
> Don't hesitate to tell me what you think with a comment, even if I don't always reply I do read them and they make me really happy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow it took me way much longer than I thought just to right this chapter!  
> I hope it will still be good. Enjoy!

When he opened his eyes again Snufkin was greeted by a white troll sitting in the chair next to the bed. He must have fallen asleep after MoominMamma had left him because he couldn't remember hearing, or seeing, Moomin coming in. He suddenly felt kind of nervous. He wondered why, with MoominMamma he was fine, but seeing Moomin next to him seemed to awake something in him and made him feel anxious.

Moomin seemed to notice him, smiling at him softly and putting away the book he was reading.

"Good morning Snufkin." He greeted happily. "How are you feeling today ?"

"Good morning." He replied quietly, debating on whether or not to tell the truth to the moomin. "I'm quite alright but it still hurts."

He wasn't going to lie but he was definitely not going to say everything. Moomin seemed sad for a moment, knowing his best friend was in pain, but he quickly regained his happiness.

"Would you like me to tell you about all the adventures we went on during the passing years ?" He asked excitedly.

Snufkin flinched slightly. Years ? Did he really stay here for years ? It didn't sound like him at all. But he trusted Moomin and his family and he knew it had to be the truth. Why would they lie to him anyway ?  
He started to wonder if something had happened to him before to make him stay that long.

Moomin seemed to notice his confusion.

"Would you like to hear how we met ?" He asked a little more timidly.

Snufkin considered it for a moment, a little scared of hearing something he should be able to remember. He nodded quietly. Moomin smiled at him and began his retelling of their meeting and their adventure when the comet was coming.

Every words made his head hurt. He felt like he was going to be sick. Every thing Moomin was saying seemed so familiar. It felt like something he knew. And he should know, of course, he was there after all. But it was as if something was blocking away the memories. He could here them. He knew he was part of it and he should at least remember something. But it seemed like he couldn't get it in his head. His mind would refuse to let him remember what he felt like at that moment, what he lived with them. It was like seeing yourself through the eyes of someone else and not realising that you are looking at yourself.

He did his best to try to remember something without feeling too sick or making his head hurt too much. He wouldn't want to worry Moomin with his pain. He seemed so excited to be retelling their adventures and he wouldn't want to take away the joy of the troll. If there was one thing he knew he couldn't bear, it was to make Moomin sad, or make him think that he is doing the opposite of helping him.

Moomin went on for a while. When he finished the story with the comet he continued on with the Hobgoblin's hat. Even though Snufkin was still in pain, something in him made him feel warm. He couldn't help but feel happy and a little reassured when seeing Moomin so happy. It made him feel better about the fact that he was stuck inside, unable to move and go out. He didn't feel caged thanks to him.

 

They didn't realized how much time had passed until MoominMamma came knocking at the door, bringing a tray of food and medicine for Snufkin. She gently told Moomintroll to go eat with the others downstairs, leaving Snufkin and her alone. 

Once again the whole process of sitting and eating wasn't pleasant but something about the way MoominMamma was treating him was comforting. He felt safe with her though he couldn't tell why. He felt as if something was stopping him from remembering at that moment, he was so close but the memories just wouldn't come back yet. It was as if they were sealed by some strong curse.

"I believe Little My will come with Moomin this time." She said as she helped him lay down again.

Snufkin looked at her with a confused expression. "Little My ?" A familiar name for sure but he couldn't tell who she was.

"Moomin didn't tell you about her yet ?" It was more an observation than a question. "She is your big sister, though she is shorter than you and act like a child." She chuckled softly, there was a certain fondness in her voice. 

Something seemed to flash in his mind, a vague memory. He could hear a distant voice but he couldn't say who it was. 

'You were found in a box.'

It was very confusing. If this was really some memory then how could she be his sister ? Didn't that meant he had been abandoned ? What kind of family did he have ? So many questions filled his mind.

"Are you alright dear ?" MoominMamma asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Sorry, I was just lost in thoughts." He admitted. "It's weird to be told you have a sister but not being able to remember is all."

"Don't worry. You'll remember when it's time." She smiled knowingly before heading out.

 

Snufkin, left to his thoughts, tried to force himself to remember more, but the only thing that he could remember was this phrase.

"Well, he said quietly to himself, it's still progress I guess."

He didn't have to wait long before he heard Moomin knock at the door, coming in soon after. He was indeed followed by the little mymble. She run past him and immediately jump at the end of the bed, making sure not to touch Snufkin. 

She sat there, studying him quietly. He couldn't stand the way she looked at him, so instead he watched Moomin as he approached the side of the bed, sitting next to him again.

Snufkin caught Moomin as he glared warningly at her. He felt the guilt overcome him. He was causing everyone so much trouble. If only he could move, he could go outside and stop being a bother.

"So..." She started ignoring Moomin's look. "You don't remember us ?"

Snufkin didn't know how to react so he opted for a quiet nod. She looked at him in silence for a moment. Snufkin could swear he saw sorrow in her eyes. It somehow felt wrong. Something in him told him she wasn't acting like she usually would. The guilt was starting to crush him. 

"I'm going to make you remember then !" She exclaimed, a confident smirk on her face.

Moomin sounded as surprised as Snufkin judging by his reaction. He looked at her in confusion. Snufkin could tell he was worried.

"What are you planning Little My ?" He asked, clearly concerned by whatever she was going to do.

"I'm just going to help him remember ! Don't look at me like that !" She exclaimed annoyed and a little hurt at Moomin's distrust. "I didn't do anything yet !"

Snufkin didn't know why but he chuckled a little. He felt pressure lifted a little as he thought that she was back to acting like she usually would, although he couldn't really remember what she usually was like. Moomin was a little surprised but he chuckled as well. Little My looked at one and at the other and pouted.

MoominMamma was right, Snufkin thought, seeing Litlle My like that there was no way anyone would believe that she was his big sister. Or even that she was the oldest of them. She was very small and she was indeed acting like a child. A wave of what he could only think as nostalgia came over him. He couldn't remember anything special other than a feeling. A feeling of surprise, relief and delight.

"Anyway, Moomin started again, should I continue to tell you about our adventures ?"

Snufkin nodded quietly, smiling as excitement settled in his friend's eyes again.

"How boring!" Little My groaned, crossing her arms. "Can't we do anything more interesting ?"

Moomin gave her an annoyed look. "Like what ? I thought you wanted to help Snufkin recover his memory. "

"Of course I want to help ! But it's no fun when you're telling stories. "

" Then what do you propose ?" Moomin asked sighing in annoyance. "We can't go on an adventure right now." He reminded her.

"I know, I know. " She huffed. "How about playing cards ?"

"I don't see how that would help him." Moomin noted. "And he can't play anyway. " 

Snufkin couldn't help but to notice the sadness in his voice. That was right. Even if he wanted to he couldn't. He could only use one arm at the moment but even this one was hurting too much for him to try to move it yet.

"I'm afraid he's right." He sighed.

Little My examined him for a moment, then pouted. "Fine !" She said with frustration. "Tell your stories !"

Snufkin chuckled quietly, soon followed by Moomin. Little My looked at them, an once of embarrassment in her eyes. She couldn't help but smile herself. She seemed relieved to see her brother and Moomin laughing despite everything that had happened to them. You could even say that she was quite proud of herself for making them laugh.

 

They spent a good part of the afternoon together. Moomin telling stories of adventures they all went on. Little My occasionally cutting him off to make fun of how they what they were doing or how they had reacted. She would also remind them of how amazing she had been and how they had been useless and were lucky she had been there.

It was a little more confusing for Snufkin to follow between Moomin's story and Little My's comments, but in the end it was definitively more interesting and lively. It was quite pleasant. He could tell how much fun they all had. He could tell how much they cared for him and wanted to help.

Still, when the story ended, Snufkin couldn't remember anything. It was really frustrating for him too. He felt 'something', that was for sure, but he couldn't put a word on it. His head was pounding again. Trying to remember was making him feel worst but he really wanted to. He had to, for them as much as for him. He couldn't accept to just wait for the memories to come back 'naturally'. What if they never did ? He couldn't stay like this forever. But, at least for now, maybe it was better to stop and rest a little. He couldn't take the pain from his head for too long. Trying too hard wasn't healthy.

 

"So ?" Little My asked expectantly, leaning closer to him.

"So what ?" Snufkin asked confused.

"Do you remember anything now ?" She pressed.

Snufkin flinched, even though he knew they would eventually asked that exact question, he wasn't prepared for it. He didn't want to disappoint them or make them think that what there were doing was useless. In fact, it did help him a bit, but he could only remember some of the feelings he felt, he couldn't remember anything precise yet, even with Moomin and Little My telling him exactly what happened and what he did.

He thought about how to reply to Little My for a moment, avoiding her persistent look. He could always ignore the question and ask them to leave him rest as he was indeed very tired, but it wouldn't be fair. Somehow, he also knew that Little My wouldn't let it go so easily.

"No." He sighed. "Nothing."

"Nothing at all ?!" She asked in frustration.

Snufkin nodded quietly. He noticed Moomin's ears flattened against his head and Little My disappointed look. His chest tightened. He felt trapped. 

He wished it was just an impossibly long and realistic nightmare. He would wake up soon and everything would be over. He could then be outside and go on a long walk to clear his foggy mind. He could enjoy the birdsong, the warm sun and the fresh spring breeze.

"Sorry." He whispered.

"Don't apologize." Moomin immediately tried to reassure him. "It's not your fault that you can't remember yet. Mamma said you'll need time. We can't expect it to be this quick."

He turned to Little My, putting his paws on his hips, a frown settling on his face. She looked away, crossing her arms with a huff.

"But with all the stories you told him already I thought he'd remember at least something." She mumbled.

Snufkin looked at her in silence. It didn't felt right for her to look so defeated. Moomin was trying his best not to look disappointed too but, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, Snufkin could see it. He had to do something. He had to say something. He had to reassure them somehow. His head hurt but he ignored it, thinking about what he could say. Wasn't there anything that he remembered ?

"I guess there is some things I remember..." He said hesitantly after a while.

Moomin and Little My looked at him in surprise, eyes full of hope, waiting for him to continue.

"I don't have any memories back. " He clarified. "But I do remember some sensations, or feelings."

"What do you mean ?" Little My pressed.

"I'm not sure how to explain." He replied quietly, looking away from her.

Little My was about to press him more but Moomin stopped her.

"It's okay." He said, looking at Little My with a look that warned her not to push the mumrik too much. "What's important is that you can remember something. Even if it's not a momery, it's still progress."He smile warmly at Snufkin, ignoring the frustrating noises of Little My.

Snufkin looked at the Moomin next to him, giving him a small smile. Yes, he was right, any progress, as small as it can be, is still progress.

The exhaustion was catching up to him. He was glad for Moomin and Little My's stories and wanted to spend some more time with them, but his pounding head and pained body were making him very tired. He wanted to close his eyes and fall asleep right then. There was also this trapped feeling, still tightening his chest, but he couldn't find it in him to ask them to leave him alone. They were doing so much for him.

Moomin must have noticed something as he quickly found an excuse to leave him be, making sure Little My would follow him out. She seemed to know what he was trying to do but didn't say anything and obeyed, huffing as she jumped of the bed. She made sure to be as noisy as possible to show her protest.

Moomin and Snufkin watched her, then when she was out of sight they looked at each other before bursting into laughter. 

"If you need anything, just call us." Moomin said with a warm smile.

Snufkin nodded and watched as his friend make his way toward the door.

"Moomin." He called out as this one was about to leave, making him turn to face him with a questioning look. "Thank you." He eventually said.

Moomin didn't respond to that, he just smile again, nodding, and headed out and down the stairs.

 

Snufkin was finally left alone. He didn't know if he should try to stay awake until MoominMamma came to make him eat, but he decided it couldn't hurt if he took a quick nap. He was too tired anyway to wait. There was only one thing he wanted to do and it was to sleep so he did. He put aside all the thoughts that crowded his mind and closed his eyes. Maybe if he could rest, that trapped feeling would go away. 

As he tried to relax, he thought back on how amazing Moomin was. He had been able to, somehow, see that he needed some space and time to rest without him saying anything. He had been able to keep Little My from pushing him too much and he was grateful for that.

He continued to think about how Moomin was such an amazing friend as he finally went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't think I would have this much trouble writing this part but seeing how long it took I can not tell when I'm going to post the next chapter.  
> I hope it wasn't too boring to read it and that you all enjoyed it.
> 
> Thank you all for the kudos and the comments.  
> Don't hesitate to comment, even if I don't reply (I don't always know how to reply to them) it still makes motivates me a lot to continue writing and help me a lot. It always makes me happy to read what you guys have to say.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is ! The new chapter !  
> Sorry to have taken so long. I really didn't think I would finish this part so soon though.  
> I've been having a hard time writing for a while now but I've finally found some inspiration and motivation. I finally know where I'm going with this fic.
> 
> Anyway I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

The next weeks followed the same pattern. MoominMamma would come and help him eat. Moomin would come to tell him about their past adventures, alone in the morning and joined by Little My on the afternoons.

Despite everything they did to help him remember, Snufkin still didn't have any memories back. He remembered better about himself and how he usually lived but anything else was just a blur. At least his body wasn't hurting as much as before. He still couldn't walk or move his arm too much but the bruises and cuts that covered his body had healed. He could even sit and eat without the assistance of MoominMamma.

It wasn't so bad.

Even if he couldn't remember, he was still getting better. Mamma had told him that everything might only come back once he'd be better and after walking around Moomin Valley. He hoped she was right even if it meant that it wouldn't be until he could walk again which could take a long time.

Moomin would always try to reassure him that he would be better soon but Snufkin knew that he was just trying to make him feel better. He was grateful for it, of course, but it didn't really worked. He could tell as time passed that Moomin was getting more and more worried about him.

 

One time, he had overheard a conversation between him and MoominMamma when they thought he was asleep.

"Isn't there anything else we can do Mamma ?" Had asked the worried Moomin to his mother.

"I'm afraid not dear. Don't worry, he'll remember when he's better." She had answered. He could imagine her stroking the fur between Moomin's ears while speaking.

"But I'm worried Mamma! He's getting better but he still can't remember anything no matter how many stories we tell him! There has to be something else we can do!" He had cried in a desperate voice.

"I know dear. I'm sure when he'll be able to go out he'll be able to remember. We just have to be patient." She had said, trying to reassure him.

"But it's taking so long Mamma! When will he be fine enough to go out?" There was frustration in his voice.

Snufkin had felt his chest tightened. He was filled with guilt as he had realized at that moment how much Moomin was worried about him. Of course, he had known that he was very worried, he just hadn't realized how much he really was. The fact that he was the reason behind Moomin's distress made him feel guilty for not being better yet, for not being able to remember, for being stuck in bed in the Moomins' house.

He didn't wanted to hear more so he had decided to go back to sleep. Eavesdropping wasn't right, even if he couldn't ignore the voices that were just outside his door. At that moment, he felt like he didn't belonged. He shouldn't have been stuck here. He should have been outside in his tent.

After that it had been hard for him to ignore how trapped he felt. He wanted to be alone but couldn't push away those who were trying so hard to help him, no matter how suffocated it made him feel, he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.

Thankfully, MoominMamma wasn't stupid. She had noticed and had asked Moomin and Little My to give him some space until he felt less trapped. Obviously Moomin was sad and even more worried to not spend his time with the mumrik but he knew how much Snufkin needed his time alone. He internally cursed himself for not noticing it. He had always been good at noticing when his friend needed to be left alone, but with him in this state, he had been too worried, too focused on trying to help him remember, and had failed to notice that he was suffocating him.

 

Reluctantly they left him alone, giving him as much space as he needed. Moomin was left trying to busy himself and listen to Little My's complaints. She had surprisingly not tried to sneak in to bother her brother, not yet at least. She seemed frustrated about the situation but didn't seem to want to cause more trouble.

"He won't get better if we can't see him." She had mumbled one day while playing with some flowers. "We can't help him if he stays alone all day."

"Maybe but he won't get better either if we don't give him some space." Moomin had answered, absentmindedly playing with the grass. "You know how much he needs his time alone."

She had just huffed in response. She knew and it frustrated her even more. She felt useless.

 

After a few days, Snufkin made them know that he was ready to see them again. He apologized to them even though they reassured him that it was okay for him to need time for himself. From then, they started telling their stories to him again, making sure to give him time after each one so they wouldn't overwhelm him again. He also agreed to tell them whenever he wanted to be left alone or whenever his head would hurt to much for him to listen to them.

 

Some days later, as Snufkin was just waking up, he heard the door of the room open slowly. He knew it couldn't be MoominMamma or Moomin as they would always knock first and it was probably too early for them to come anyway. It only left one other person.

He quietly open his eyes to peer at whoever was coming in. He had been right. A quick glance at the window told him it was still early in the morning, the sun just starting to make it's appearance, casting a soft orange light in the otherwise dark room. Despite the darkness of the room he could make out the little Mymble closing the door quietly.

He watched as she made her way towards him, surprised when she didn't jump at the end of the bed like she usually did, instead making her way to the chair next to the bed and pushing it closer to him before jumping on it. She didn't sat yet, facing him quietly. For a moment he wondered if she could see that he was awake but he put the thought away as he knew there was enough light for her to see it. He gave her a questioning look.

"You could say hi at least." She pouted, crossing her arms and looking away with an annoyed huff.

"Hi." He smiled teasingly. 

Maybe he couldn't remember anything about the way they acted around each other but it didn't meant that he couldn't trust his instinct. He chuckled a little when she looked at him with an annoying look on her face and rolled her eyes. He could still see the smile hidden underneath though.

"So, He started quietly, what's wrong ?"

"Nothing."

"Come on Little My, you've never came to see me this early before." He said with a soft smile.

"What ? Can't I come see my little brother when I want to ?" She replied with a huff.

"I might not remember anything but I still know from the time I spent here already that you never wake up this early without any particular reason." He chuckled slightly as she blush a little with embarrassment. "So, what's on your mind ?"

Her expression seemed to change completely at that. She became serious so quickly that Snufkin almost regretted asking in the first place. He felt his skin crawl on his back, nervousness taking over his body. He knew that even if he hadn't asked she was going to say something but the sudden change of her expression made the air around them feel heavy. He waited with apprehension for her to speak.

"I want you to be honest for once." She said, an once of frustration in her voice.

"What do you mean ?" He asked baffled.

"I know you!" She started, her tone hard but also sad and frustrated. "I can tell that you're not telling us everything! I can tell that you remember more than what you pretend! Moomin might be oblivious but I'm not!"

"I already told you I-" He tried but was cut off by the little mymble again.

"Don't even try to pretend!" She scolded him."I know you're not telling everything! Spill it out already!"

Snufkin flinched, instantly regretting it as it a spike of pain ran through his body. He held the gasp in his throat. His sister although a little worried didn't say anything, seemingly still waiting for him to talk. She gave him the time to get himself together.

"Alright." He sighed, still hesitant. "I guess, there is something that I remembered and haven't told you. But you can't even call that a memory." He clarified.

"So, what is it !" She urged him to continue, her eyes now filled with curiosity.

"I just remember hearing someone say something when I was really young." He avoided looking at her, fearful of even speaking of that phrase.

Of course Little My wasn't going to let him go without getting all the information from him.

"What's that then ? What were they saying ?" She pressed him when she noticed his reluctance to elaborate. "Come on ! I won't leave you alone until you tell me!"

"Fine." He sighed, defeated. "It's nothing big. I just remember hearing someone say that I was found in a box. That's all I swear."

He nervously looked at his sister, who stayed silent for a moment, seemingly taking it in. He knew it would probably hurt her in a way. That's exactly why he hadn't wanted to tell her or Moomin about it. He still didn't know anything about his family but he could tell that she cared deeply for him and that there was much more to it that just this vague memory of him being told he had been abandoned.

"Well. It's a start." She sighed after a moment. "You could have told us though."

Snufkin looked at her in confusion. He stayed silent, not wanting to admit that he thought it might hurt her if he told her.

"If you wanted to know more about your family you could have told me you know." She looked at him accusingly but as she continued she gave him a gentle smile. "I can explain what happened to you before you were found and after we all met but I can't tell what happened in between since I wasn't there. Would you want that ?"

"If that's okay. Yes. I'd like to know. Maybe it could help me remember more." He nodded quietly.

"First off, she started while finally sitting on the chair and crossing her legs, you didn't get abandoned. I want to make that very clear. Our mom is a little absent minded and she just put you down to take care of our siblings and forgot about it, and then when she realized she couldn't remember where she left you." She looked him in the eyes as she said it, her expression serious and inspecting his. She wanted to make sure he understood that he wasn't intentionally abandoned. "And the Joxter didn't even knew that you existed. Mother was feeling so guilty after she lost you that she didn't have the courage to tell him about you."

Snufkin listened to her explanation closely. It seemed familiar to him and he knew it was normal because he obviously had been told about it before, but hearing it like that was confusing for him. It was as if he was never told about it before. It was hard to take in, hard to believe someone could put their child somewhere and forget about them just like that. However, he somehow knew inside of him that he had never blamed his mother for that and couldn't blame his father either since he didn't even knew Snufkin existed before.

Snufkin nodded, showing to Little My that he understood and was still listening. He tried to keep his expression neutral though he wasn't sure if it was working when Little My gave him a skeptical look. She then sighed and proceeded to tell him how he met all of them, after MoominPappa sent a letter to the Mymble and the Joxter telling them about Snufkin and inviting them to MoominHouse.

 

They spent some time together, Little My telling him about their family until MoominMamma came knocking at the door.

"Oh! Good Morning you two. I didn't know you were awake Little My." She said with smile. "Is everything okay ?" She glanced at Little My.

"Of course!" She huffed. "Why can't I just wake up early and come see how my little brother is doing without having any problem ?"

MoominMamma and Snufkin exchanged smiles before chuckling as Little My stared at them and pouted. 

"Of course you can dear." MoominMamma chuckled lightly, making her way to Snufkin. "How are you today Snufkin ?"

"My body still hurt when I move too quickly but otherwise i'm quite alright." He answered.

"I'll bring you some more medicine for the pain with your breakfast." She nodded.

She pulled off the blanket to take a look at his arm and his leg. While she was at work Little My stood up on her chair and leaned forward, putting her little paws on the bed to observe better MoominMamma's work.

"I'll go and prepare breakfast. Call me if you need anything. And Little My, she pulled the blanket back on Snufkin before turning to look at the little mymble, please don't overwhelm your brother."

"I know! I won't!" Little My replied. She sounded offended that MoominMamma thought she would do that.

MoominMamma smiled at them before heading downstairs, leaving the two alone in the room.  
Little My stayed silently pouting for few minutes, looking away from Snufkin. This one was still chuckling at her childish behavior. Then something came to Little My's mind and she turned to him with a look as if she had had an incredible revelation.

"Maybe if you could meet the other it would help you remember." She said excitedly, standing on her chair.

"The others ?" Snufkin asked confused.

"Yeah! Snorkmaiden, Sniff, our sister, Mother and Joxter. Maybe if you could see them it would help you." She explained.

She seemed so confident that he couldn't even think to decline. 

"Maybe. I guess we could still try." He said reluctantly.

"Come on! Don't be like that. I'm sure it will help you!" She scolded when she noticed his reluctance.

"I hope you're right." He sighed and looked away from her. "I just don't like the idea of more people seeing me like this."

"I know you don't like it but if it can help you, then you have to try." She tried to comfort him. "Maybe we should first make you see Snorkmaiden and Sniff. They've been asking where you went for a while now." He frowned a little at that but she continued. "I think he'd be easier for you than making you see Mother and Joxter."

He sighed again. "I suppose you're right."

"Of course I am! I'm always right!" She grinned. "I think we still have some time before Moomintroll wakes up and before breakfast. Do you want to hear more about our family?"

"If you don't mind then yes." He gave her a small smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and for the kudos and comments until now.  
> I hope you enjoyed this new chapter !
> 
> Like I said I'm really sorry for taking so long for writing this, but now I finally know what I'm doing (kind of) so hopefully I can write better and quicker. Those last month have been hard for me but now it should get better. And I'm looking forward to writing the following part to get to another fic that I've got the idea of.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the next chapter !
> 
> I finished this one quicker than I thought. I hope you'll enjoy it.

There was a knock at the door. Little My called for whoever it was to come in. Snufkin watched nervously as the door open and Moomin came in, followed by two other familiar creature.

 

After their breakfast, Little My had talked to Moomin about her idea and asked for him to go find Snorkmaiden and Sniff and bring them to MoominHouse. Moomin, at first, wasn't really on board with the idea, worrying that it might overwhelm Snufkin instead of helping him. He had looked at him with concerned and asked him if he sure he was okay with that.

"I'll be fine." He had answered quietly. "Little My is right. Maybe it could help. We won't know until we try."

He had tried to be convincing but Moomin had noticed his lack of enthusiasm.

"Fine." He had sighed. "But tell us if you want them to leave, or if you want us to leave you alone. Okay ?"

They had agreed that they would wait until after lunch to go get them and Little My had insisted, despite Moomin reluctance to leave Snufkin, that she would stay with him while Moomin went to search for their friends.

 

Snorkmaiden and Sniff came in and gasped when they caught sight of him. The cuts and bruises had left a certain number of scars on his body, but the most visible one was the one from the wound on the side of his head. Snufkin hadn't seen it yet, stuck in bed as he was, but he knew it was there, and he knew it must look pretty bad.

He was glad they hadn't seen him before. From what their reaction was now, he could only imagine how shocked they would have been had they seen him the first few days.

He stayed silently sitting on his bed as Moomin and Little My ushered them inside the room. Moomin closed the door behind them, glancing worriedly at Snufkin. This one tried his best to remain calm and to hide the panic that was increasing inside of him. He was glad his hand were currently hidden under the blanket as he could feel how much they were shaking.

"Come on ! Don't stay like that, with you mouth wide open ! It's still him you know !" Little My scolded them, crossing her arms, when she saw that they were stuck in place. 

"Are you alright ?" Sniff asked Snufkin without taking the time to think.

"Is it true that you don't remember us ?" Snorkmaiden said, not giving Snufkin time to reply or even nod to Sniff's question.

"Does it hurt a lot ?" Sniff continued.

"Oh dear. I sure hope it isn't too painful."

Snufkin felt the panic growing inside of him as he listened to their concerned question without giving him the time to answer any of them. He glanced at Little My and Moomin. Thankfully those two were able to understand his plea and they took charge of everything.

"Hey !" Little My exclaimed to gain their attention. "Don't ask so many question ! And give him time to answer !" She scolded again, her little hands on her hips and standing on the chair next to the bed.

"Please. Little My is right." Moomin said. "Ask only one question at a time and give him enough time to answer. "

After a quick apology, Snormaiden and Sniff resumed asking their questions, this time waiting for Snufkin to answer before asking the next one. Snufkin confirmed that he couldn't remember them to which they gave him a weird look. He couldn't tell if it was a look of pity, of concern or just a sad look. 

His mind was foggy. 

They looked so familiar. His head was painful again, like it was trying to remember but he wouldn't allow it. He tried to focus on their questions instead, ignoring the pain as best as he could.

They stayed for a good part of the afternoon, asking questions and talking about things they did together. They joked about how Little My would always annoy Sniff and make fun of him.

Eventually, he couldn't take more and had to ask them to give him some time to himself. They didn't asked to stay or if he had recovered any memory, which he was grateful for. They left him with a promise to return soon when he would feel like he could cope with their presence again.

Moomin didn't move, he waited for all of them to be gone before he could talk to Snufkin alone. He asked him if he needed help laying down again as he didn't wanted him to move his leg too much. Snufkin, although surprised that it was what he asked, nodded quietly. Moomin helped him, making sure his leg wouldn't have to move as the mumrik lay down slowly.

When he was done he looked back at Snufkin. He seemed like he wanted to say something but was hesitant to do so. Finally he smiled at him and headed towards the door. He stopped before opening it, turning around to look at him again.

"Don't force yourself too much." He said with a serious but gentle expression. "It's okay to need some time."

He looked away again before turning one last time.

"I'm glad you told us to leave you this time." He said with a beaming smile. "Call us if you need anything."

Snufkin, surprised, only nodded and gave him a little smile as Moomin left the room. He wasn't sure why Moomin had seemed so happy about him telling them to leave him alone, but his mind was too foggy to really think more about it.

 

Finally alone in the room, Snufkin allowed his mind to wander. All the stories he had heard about his adventures with the four of them seemed to be more clear now. Putting a face on the names he had heard did help him a lot.

As he allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts, something flashed in his mind. He finally remembered some things. He remembered his meeting with the Snork and Snorkmaiden when he escaped from jail, his meeting with Moomin and Sniff and their adventure with the comet.

He felt something wet rolling down his cheeks as a wave of relief came over him. He hadn't realized he had started to cry. It felt good to finally start remembering, even if it wasn't much, it was still much more than before. He also felt reassured. He hadn't realized how worried he had been about never having any memories back, and about how his friends would react if it came to it, until now.

He let out a shaky sigh. He was so grateful for Moomin and Little My insisting on trying to help him. He had felt so guilty from the fact that nothing had seemed to work at first. Now he was finally going to be able to tell them a good news. He was finally going to see their eyes filled with joy and relief, or at least that's what he wanted to see, though he was sure he couldn't be too far from what would happened anyway. 

He suddenly felt exhausted. It was probably from all the emotions of the day. The nervousness he had held all day, when he was waiting for the time to see Snorkmaiden and Sniff, had finally left him. The relief of having remembered something had calmed him and left him with only one desire for the rest of the day. At that moment he only wanted to sleep.

He would rest now, sleep until the next day, and when he would wake up he would tell the others. He would tell them that he finally remembered some things. He would make them happy. He would ease their worries. He would thank them for taking so much time trying to help him. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could even remember more the next day. Maybe, now, he would remember more every days and he would finally have all of his memories back. Then, he would finally be able to get back to a somewhat normal life. Of course, it would still take some times and he wouldn't be able to go out until his leg go better anyway, but at least, he was going to get better.

With his mind filled with hopes for the future days, he drifted off into a sweet dream of freedom and adventures.

 

The next day, he woke up to be met with Little My's face. She was kneeling on the chair, elbows resting on the bed next to him. She had her face between her hands as she stared at him.   
He was more startled when she jumped back to stand on her chair than from seeing her so close when waking up. She looked away from him as she stand there, her face slightly flushed. 

He chuckled quietly before wincing, he had accidentally moved his leg in a way that hurt him. She noticed and turned back to look at him with concern in her eyes.

"Are you okay ?" She finally asked.

"I'm fine. I just move my leg in a bad way. It's fine." He reassured.

"Are you sure ?"

"Yes. I'm fine Little My." He smiled at her. "The pain is already gone anyway."

She looked at his for a moment, she didn't seemed very convinced but just sighed.

"I'm sorry if seeing Snorkmaiden and Sniff was too much for you." She suddenly apologized quietly, looking down at her feet. "Mamma said you didn't eat dinner yesterday." She added looking back up at him, once again with that look of concern.

Snufkin couldn't help but feel guilty for being the cause of her concern. He knew it wasn't like her to be so worried over someone so openly.

"Oh ! That's just because I must have been asleep already. I was just very tired is all." He explained, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry. You have nothing to apology for. In fact, I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me ?" She repeated, her eyes widening in surprise. "For what ?"

"For making me see them." He replied, giving her a small but warm smile. "Thanks to you I've finally started to remember more."

"Really ??" She asked, jumping up and down on the chair with the excitement, a wide grin on her face. "Did my idea really worked ? What do you remember ?"

"Yes, it did."

He chuckled a little from her excitement. He felt relieved and happy to see her so overjoyed and excited about it. He finally got to see her happy after having worried her and Moomin so much. A weight lifted of his chest as he looked at her.

"I remember a little more about how I met Snorkmaiden and her brother, how I met Moomin and Sniff, and I remember bits and pieces of the adventure with the comet." He explained. "It's still a bit blurry but it's a start."

"Don't say it like that." She laughed. "It's still good. You're finally recovering your memory!"

They laughed together for a moment. Little My was so overjoyed that she couldn't resist the urge to climb on the bed and hug him. He was a little surprised at first but he didn't push her away. Instead he continued to laugh and wrap his arms around her.

 

They were startled by a knock at the door, letting go of each other as MoominMamma came in the room with a tray of pancakes for the two of them and some more medicine for Snufkin. She smiled at them with a knowing smile.

"Mamma! Mamma! He started to remember!" Little My exclaimed as MoominMamma settled the tray next to them.

"Oh really ?" She smiled at the two of them, turning to look at Snufkin. "That's a good sign. Now you should eat before it gets cold. You must be hungry. After all you didn't eat dinner yesterday. You were already asleep when I came in and I didn't want to wake you up." She explained, stroking his hair gently.

"Yes. Thank you MoominMamma." He gave her a soft smile before starting to eat.

 

MoominMamma headed back down with the tray once they were done eating. She had just closed the door when they heard Moomin run up the stairs towards the room. 

Sure enough, Moomin knocked at the door, coming in quickly, just seconds later. Little My and Snufkin looked at each other before laughing again as Moomin stared at them curiously.

"What's so funny ?" He asked.

"Nothing." Little My said with a wide smile.

Little My looked at Snufkin with a smile. He understood and nodded, letting her know she could tell Moomintroll. Moomin gave them a questioning look. He seemed confused as he approached them. She spoke before Moomin could ask what was going on.

"Snufkin's memory is coming back." She declared happily.

Moomin looked at them in disbelief.Stunned, he glanced between Snufkin and Little My. They nodded until it finally seemed to register in Moomin's head and he gasped.

"It's amazing! Oh Snuf ! I'm so happy to hear that !" He exclaimed in delight, clasping his paws together. "Oh ! But Snuf. Are you alright ?"

"I'm quite alright Moomin." Snufkin confirmed.

He could tell from the way his friend was acting that he was itching to get closer and hug him, just like Little My had done before. He seemed to hold himself back though Snufkin wouldn't really mind if he did. He had been happy to be hugged by Little My so he knew it would be the same if Moomin hugged him too. He was so happy to see his friend's worries melt away at the news.

 

The three of them talk for a long part of the morning, about what he remembered, about how he felt about all of it, and about how long they thought it would take him to remember everything.   
Of course, they all wished he would recover all of his memories as quickly as possible, but they knew it could still take a while. Despite that, they were relieved and knew that he would recover.

"What about the others ?" Little My asked suddenly.

"What others ?" Moomin asked back, voicing Snufkin's own question.

"Our sister, our mom and the Joxter." Little My said with an annoyed tone as if it was obvious.

"What about them ?" Moomin replied, confused as to what she was trying to say.

"Snufkin remembered some things after seeing Snorkmaiden and Sniff." She started to explained, annoyed at their confusion. "Maybe, if he could see them too, it could help him remember more."

"Oh." It was all Moomin could reply, feeling suddenly a little stupid for not understanding before she explained her point. "Well, maybe, but isn't it a little too much right now ?" He asked turning to look at Snufkin with a concerned expression.

"What do you mean too much ?" Little My huffed before understanding his worry and looking at Snufkin as well, waiting for him to talk his mind.

"It's okay." He tried to reassure them, though he knew they could still read his hesitation about all of it. "I'm sure I'll be fine. If it can help me recover more than we should try it."

They looked at each other knowingly before sighing and looking back at him, smiling softly.

"You don't have to force yourself you know." Little My sighed again.

"We know it was a little overwhelming yesterday. Maybe we should wait a bit more." Moomin continued. "You don't have to do this for us. It won't help you if you're forcing yourself to do things too quickly."

Snufkin stared at them for a moment before sighing. "You're right." He admitted. "But I think that seeing them could still help."

"Well, we'll make you see them, but not right away." Little My said gently. "We can't have you get too much overwhelm. You can see them in a few days."

"Yes. We don't want to make you feel trapped after all." Moomin agreed. "We know you need your space and we also know it isn't really easy for you right now since you're stuck inside." His tone was a little quieter with a little sadness, as if he felt guilty for it. "I'm sure it will be better for you to wait a few days."

"I suppose you're right." Snufkin smiled a little, touched by their concern and by how well they could read him. "Then we'll wait, but maybe spending more time with the others might still bring more memories back though. I'm okay with seeing them."

"You're sure it won't be too much ?" Moomin asked.

"Yes, I am." Snufkin replied confidently.

Reassured by his confidence, Little My and Moomin agreed on getting the others to spend some more time with them that afternoon and making him meet his family the next week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter and thank you to all of you who left kudos or commented.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. 
> 
> Don't hesitate to leave a comment and tell me your thoughts on the story so far. I love reading them and it keeps me motivated to write the next part.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter !
> 
> I thought I wouldn't write anything while I was with my family but I was wrong, which is why you get this chapter now.
> 
> I call the Mymble's Daughter 'Mumble' so it would be easier to understand and since that's how she's named in the 90's show.

Days later, Snufkin could remember more, bits and pieces from different adventures. But, despite his current recovery, his memory was still foggy and filled with holes. He was ready to welcome any progress no matter if it wasn't much, like remembering something he cooked one time during one of his travel.

Everyday he would wake up to see Little My next to him, already waiting for him to tell her if he remembered anything knew. He was a little concerned for her as he thought she might not be sleeping enough, but his worries were always pushed to the side when he saw how energetic she always was despite waking up so early everyday.

Moomin would join them after their breakfast and Little My would resume everything Snufkin had told her so he didn't had to repeat himself. Then they would spend the morning together talking about anything and everything. They would always make sure that he was feeling well enough to actually spend time with Snorkmaiden and Sniff in the afternoon. If he was fine with it, then they would go find them and bring them back. They all would then talk some more, Snorkmaiden and Sniff trying to fill in the holes in his memory.

Sometimes, Snorkmaiden would come with some flower crowns she had made in the morning, offering one to each of them. Other times, She would bring some pretty shells that she had picked up at the beach in the morning with Sniff.

As the days passed, Snufkin learned to appreciate their company as he had done before he lost his memory.  
He was slowly getting better. MoominMamma had told him that soon he could finally go out as the Snork, who came by one day to see how Snufkin was doing, had made crutches for him. Now that his arm seemed healed, it shouldn't be too long. His leg was hurting less and less but he still couldn't move it too much without any pain.

 

One day, Little My asked him how he felt about seeing his family. He hesitated but knew he should be honest since Little My would know if he lied. He told her he wasn't ready yet but that it should be fine in a few more days. She smiled at him, happy that he had been honest, and told him she would try to contact them since they would need some time to travel to MoominValley.

 

After a few day, Little My announced that she would bring Mymble's Daughter in the afternoon. Snufkin felt very nervous about it but he was as ready as he could get.   
After the little mymble left, Moomin sat on the bed next to him, tail in his hand.

"Are you sure that you're ready ?" asked the worried Moomintroll. "It won't be too much ?"

"Well, it should be fine." Snufkin chuckled nervously. "Don't worry too much about it. I'll be fine."

Moomin sighed quietly but smiled at his friend. "I know you will. And we won't be far if you need anything."

Snufkin just nodded, smiling back at the moomin. Everyday, he would marvel at the fact that he had met, and made friend with, such an amazing and caring troll. This moomin was the only one that could possibly make being stuck inside so much easier for a free mumrik like him. He not only managed to make him forget the trapped feeling, but also to make him feel safe inside MoominHouse. He managed to make him understand what it felt like to have a family and a home.

He remembered now one of the few conversations he had with MoominMamma.   
She had expressed to him how much all of them cared for him, how they considered him as part of the family. She had told him many times, all of them did, that he would always be welcome to stay in MoominHouse or come eat with them any time he wanted or when he needed it.   
She had a way of saying things that Snufkin always admired. She was able to say things gently, in a way that didn't make him uncomfortable or trapped. She had a certain warmth to herself that made her words soothing in a way. Snufkin always thought it must have been a mother's thing.

Over the few days where Little My had talked with him about his family, he had been able to remember some things. He remembered how different it felt when he was with his own mother, The Mymble, from when his was with MoominMamma. It wasn't a bad kind of different, but he knew his mother was harder to be around for him. It was mostly due to the fact that she was really forgetful and had many children running around her at all the times. She hadn't been around him for long enough to know his boundaries.   
Funny, he thought, how he could remember this kind of thing even without much memories of her.

He remembered that the Mymble's Daughter was different on that point. He knew he had had more interaction with her as she lived in Moomin Valley most of the year. She knew better than to crowd him too much. Of course, she didn't always get the cue to give him some space, but he had a vague feeling that over time, she had been getting better at reading him. 

Little My seemed to think that seeing her first, before their mother and his father arrived, would make seeing them next easier. He had to agree with that logic.   
Moomin had seemed reassured as well at the thought of seeing them separately, with a day or two in between to give him time and space as not to overwhelm him.   
They were all so protective and caring. He had thought it would be stiffing, caging, but no it actually made him feel safer and warm somehow.

 

The sound of a knock at the door startled him out of his thoughts. Ever since he lost his memory, he had been easily startled and would get lost in thoughts quite easily. He looked at the door with apprehension.   
Moomin opened it to let Little My and Mymble's Daughter in. Little My ran to the bed, jumping on it and sitting next to where Snufkin was settled. Moomin glanced at her as though he was waiting for her approval. She nodded and he went out, closing the door behind him. 

Mymble's Daughter approached him carefully but with a soft smile.

"Hello Snufkin." She said gently. "Little My told me about your misadventure. I hope you're doing better now. How are you today ?"

Simple and nice, Snufkin thought, she didn't show any sign of surprise at the sight of him, like his friends had before her. She hadn't asked him all questions at once. She didn't assume how he must be feeling. She knew how to act around him and it was reassuring for him.

"I'm doing better though I still can't walk and I don't remember everything yet." He simply answered.

"He can remember things thanks to me !" Little My announced proudly.

"Well, I'm sure it would have come back even without you My, and I'm sure you'll remember soon. You just need to be more patient." The mymble replied, laughing.

"Yes. I suppose you're right. Though, I got to admit that it was indeed thanks to Little My that I started to remember." He chuckled slightly.

"See! I told you! It's all thanks to me!" Little My puffed up.

It seemed that she had told her sister before coming and hadn't been believed. Snufkin found that he couldn't blame Mumble for not believing her as Little My was known to always put things in a way that would make her look better than she was. The thought made Snufkin chuckled some more, this time accompanied by Mumble.

"Well at least, you didn't bit Moomin out of revenge for what happened. It's still better than usual." Mumble mocked, giving her sister a teasing smirk.

"Why would she do that ?" Snufkin asked, missing the point.

"Because Little My once said to you that she would bite anybody that hurt you." She explained. "And since it's by saving Moomintroll that you fell, I wouldn't have been surprised if she had bit him." She giggled.

"That does sound like something she would say and do indeed." Snufkin agreed, laughing when the little mymble in question let out an annoyed huff and started to pout.

"I couldn't bite him because he was already feeling miserable enough. Plus, it wasn't his fault so it doesn't count." She mumbled.

"It usually take you less than this to bite someone." Mumble teased.

They laughed as Little My's face became red with embarrassment. She crossed arms and legs as she turned her head away from them like a child.

Mumble, still laughing, took a sit in the chair next to the bed, facing her little sister.   
She calmed down a little before turning her attention back to Snufkin.

"It must have been hard for you. I know how much you hate being stuck inside like that." She started with a gentle smile, she hadn't phrased it like a question but he got her attention to make him understand that he could talk about it if he wanted. "You've always preferred to do everything by yourself after all and you hate having people fuss over you all day."

"And you hate sleeping inside." Little My added. 

She seemed to have stopped pouting to join the new conversation. She turned to face him, putting her legs on the bed to be sitting just next to him in a more comfortable manner.

He thought about what he had been feeling about this whole situation, from the moment he woke up, in pain and with no memory, to the present moment. 

At first, the confusion of waking up with no idea where he was, who he was and who was the creature next to him, had been the only thing he felt, well aside from the pain. After some time, he had started to feel more trapped and panicked as he realized, finally, that he couldn't go anywhere and was stuck inside, in the same room, in the same place.

The first few days after that realization had been hard. He knew inside of him that he couldn't say or show anything to Moomin. He couldn't worry him more than he already was, and knowing that he was the cause of the troll's worries was making it even harder for Snufkin. 

It really wasn't until he got some time to himself that he finally started to relax a bit. Over the next days, he grew more and more comfortable with his situation and came to accept it.

He found that it wasn't so bad to be stuck inside, with so many caring people to help him and distract him. Moomin, particularly, had been so kind and he had been so worried over him that Snufkin felt happy every time he saw him smile. He had been a soothing presence to the injured wanderer. He had managed to make the trapped feeling go progressively away to be replaced by a feeling of safety.

When he had finally started to remember, thanks to Little My's idea, he had felt much better as well.   
The anxiety of the idea of never recovering his memory had faded away in a second to be replaced with relief. The happiness and excitement of his friends to the news had made his last worries flew away totally.

And now, here he was, remembering more every day and 'meeting' friends and family again to recover more memories. Of course every time he 'met' someone he would feel nervous as though he had never seen them before, which technically was true since he couldn't recall any of them until he met them again. However, this feeling wouldn't last long. It would quickly be remplaced by a feeling of familiarity and he would forget all about it as he would talk with them.

"It is." He admitted to his sisters, there was no point in lying as they already knew and Moomin wasn't there to feel hurt by his honesty. "But, it was harder at first, now it's quite fine really."

"Oh ?" Mumble and Little My looked at him with surprise.

"And why is that ?" Little My asked with curiosity, a smirk on her face.

"I suppose that remembering helped me feel better." He said quietly, not wanting to lie but definitely not voicing the entire reason.

"Well, the important is that you're not feeling so bad being stuck inside. I would have thought that you'd be having a hard time after being cooped up in here for so long." Mumble said with a gentle smile, speaking before Little My could say anything to annoy her brother and giving her a warning look.

At that moment, Snufkin thought that she really looked more like MoominMamma and like a mother than what he could ever remember of their own mother. He smiled and nodded. That was right, he could recall now, how he always saw her taking care of the children whenever their mother came in Moomin Valley and left them in her care while she was talking with MoominMamma.

 

After that, Mumble changed the subject to their family, to make sure that Little My wouldn't get a chance to say whatever she wanted to say to annoy their little brother. She asked him what he could remember about all of them and what he would like to know before he got to meet the Joxter and Mymble.

He told her everything he knew and simply asked her to describe them to him so he could get a better idea of who they were and what they were like.

The two sisters spend the entire afternoon talking about Snufkin's parents and about all of them as a family, explaining how all of them got along and talking about the weird cat behaviors of the Joxter, Little My not missing the occasion to point out every detail of him that Snufkin had in common with his weird dad.

Time seemed to go by quickly on that day. He would never have thought that he would be enjoying that much talking with his sisters. When Mumble decided it was time for her to go home, she stood up and came closer to him, stroking quickly but gently his hair before saying her goodbye, and asking Little My to be nice with Snufkin and the Moomins while she was staying in MoominHouse to watch over her little brother. With that, she headed out.

Once she left, Little My seemed to debate whether or not to annoy her brother as she looked at him. Thankfully for Snufkin she apparently decided against it and chose to go out and play with Moomintroll and the other after making sure Snufkin would be alright with it. Of course he was. He was happy as, even though this afternoon had passed quickly and had been quite pleasant, to his surprise, he still needed some space and a little bit of time alone. He would need to have some time for himself to be ready to meet his mother and father.

"In two day..." He murmured to himself, lost in his thoughts once again. "In two days, I'll meet them again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and for the kudos!   
> I hope you enjoyed this new part.
> 
> Like I always say don't hesitate to tell me your thoughts in the comments.
> 
> I wanted to write his interaction with his parents in this chapter as well but it ended up being longer than I thought so I had to cut it in half.  
> Also I've never written most of those characters so I don't really know how accurate I am, hopefully it's okay but I'll go with my version anyway.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The Mymble and Joxter are coming!

Two days later, while Little My and Moomintroll were with Snufkin, Little My stood up suddenly on the windowsill where she had been sitting and looked outside. Moomin and Snufkin looked at each other before turning their attention back to the little mymble. They were curious as to why she had stood up so suddenly.

"Mother's here!" She announced quite happily. "I don't see the Joxter anywhere though."

Snufkin didn't know what to think. He was torn between the relief of seeing them only one at a time and worry that his father might not come at all. His worry increased as he remembered that Mymble would probably have taken the children with her.

"Looks like she left the others home." Little My said as if she had sensed his worry without even turning to face him.

Moomin looked at Snufkin, taking his hand in his paw and squeezing it gently in a attempt to reassure him. It worked a little. Snufkin relax a bit, thinking of how lucky he was that Moomin was with him. He was also relieved to hear that his many half-siblings hadn't come along and that he would only see his mother alone.

"Are you ready?" Little My asked with a smile, finally turning around to look at him.  
"I'll bring her in." She said as she jumped down from her perch after he nodded.

She ran out the door. They could hear her calling out to her mother excitedly. Snufkin, still nervous, squeezed Moomin's paw tightly without thinking. Chatter was heard from downstairs.

"Are you okay?" Moomin asked, trying to hide as best as he could his own worries.

"A little nervous, it's all." Snufkin admitted quietly, loosening his grip on the moomin's paw a little. "I'll be fine."

Moomin gave him a gentle smile as he squeezed his hand again. Snufkin could hold his hand all day. It felt so comforting, so warm, so soft.

 

There was a knock at the door. Moomin stood up from where he was sitting on the bed next to the mumrik. He turned back to press a quick kiss on top of Snufkin's forehead and whispered one last reassurance before he headed to the door to open it and let in the Mymble. Snufkin tried his best to not blush at his friend's gesture as his mother came in.

When Moomin exited the room and closed the door again behind him, Snufkin noticed the lack of Little My with his mother. He would have thought that she would have come in as well, like she had done with their sister. Ultimately, he was grateful that she had decided to leave the two of them alone, even though he felt a little more nervous about it.

The Mymble approached him and gave him a quick but tight hug. Snufkin tried not to push her away and found that he didn't mind as much as he would have thought.

"Hello my boy." She said as she let go of him, sitting on the bed where Moomin had been just moments before. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." He said carefully, not sure how to he used to act around his mother.

"I'm sorry, your father was suppose to come as well but we got separated." She apologized with a smile.

"You got separated?" Snufkin repeated in confusion. 

As far as he knew, from what his sisters had told him, they didn't lived that far away, and even though his father was still traveling from time to time, he had apparently been with her when she received Little My's letter. How could they be separated on such a short trip?

"You know how your father is." She said with a fond expression. "He got distracted on the way and I lost track of him. I'm sure he'll be here soon. If he hasn't been more distracted on the way of course." She laughed to herself.

Snufkin wasn't sure what to think. His mother seemed to already have forgotten that he had lost his memory, although he had recovered some. He couldn't remember much about her or his father, so hearing her talking as if it was obvious made him feel slightly uncomfortable. He understood, however, that it was indeed something his father did a lot as his sisters had told him the previous days.

He was about to reply when they heard a noise at the window. They turned to look and were met with the sight of a man with a red hat waving at them. Mymble chuckled fondly as she stood up and opened the window to let the man in.

"Couldn't you come through the door like everybody for once?" She said, laughing when he grinned at her and shook his head. "You're hopeless."

Snufkin was so confused that he couldn't say a word when the man greeted him. It must have been his father. Who else could it have been? The thought didn't make him feel better though. Why did he arrived by the window? Everything was so confusing.

Something in the back of his mind told him he shouldn't be so surprised but it was hard when he couldn't remember much about them. It felt like two strangers were entering his space for the first time, even though he knew who they were and felt a certain familiarity about all this.

He already felt like he should ask them to leave but he ignored the thought. He had to try at least for a little longer. Maybe he would feel better after he spoke with them a little more.

"Are you alright son?" The Joxter asked as he caught him lost in his thoughts, still staring at them.

Snufkin just nodded, trying to clear his head from all the thoughts gathering inside.  
His father, unlike his mother, seemed to notice that something was wrong. He gave him a questioning look but didn't say anything yet.

The Mymble went back to sitting next to Snufkin on the bed as the Joxter sat on the chair. The Joxter kept looking at his son as though he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to do it. His mother on the other hand, oblivious to the situation, was already rambling about how she was happy to see him as he rarely visited, about how she had to left the children with one of her friends, and how she was hoping they wouldn't give them a hard time until she got back.

The whole situation only managed to make Snufkin feel more uncomfortable, not entirely paying attention to what she was saying. He was trying not to look at his father too much, his staring was making him feel out of place. 

At this moment, he surprised himself wishing that Moomin and Little My had stayed with them. Having more people in the room wouldn't have been the best thing, but at least he would have had some support and wouldn't have had to deal with the situation on his own.

As it was starting to get too hard to deal with, a knock at the door broke the heavy atmosphere that had settled for the poor Snufkin. MoominMamma opened the door.

"Lunch is ready." She announced before looking at the Joxter with a little of surprise. "I didn't know you had arrived Joxter. How did you get in?" She asked suspiciously, frowning when he grinned mischievously.

"By the window." Was all he said, looking quite happy with himself at that moment.

She stared at him for a moment, Mymble only laughing at them. Snufkin wasn't sure what was happening but he was glad for MoominMamma's interruption. At least, now he didn't have to listen to his mother's endless rambling and his father's stare.

"At least you didn't broke in, for once." She sighed before turning back to look at the Mymble. "Would you two like to join us for lunch?"

"Oh, what an excellent idea!" Mymble beamed, clasping her hand.

MoominMamma headed out with Mymble. Joxter, however, didn't move. He watched them leave silently. His expression unreadable. He shook his head when MoominMamma looked at him. She gave him a knowing look before closing the door behind her again.

When the two mothers were out of sight, the Joxter stood up and went to sit where Mymble had been just before. He made sure to be facing his son as he sat down.

"So..." He started, a little hesitant.

"So?" Snufkin repeated, confused as to why his father had stayed instead of jumping on the occasion to have a free meal.

"I'm sorry about your mother." He sighed suddenly, rubbing the back of his neck. "She is very forgetful you know. She probably already forgot why we came here."

"It's fine." Snufkin hastened to reassure.

"You don't have to lie to me." The Joxter said, his serious tone made Snufkin flinch a little.  
"I know it's hard for you." He softened a little, stroking his son's messy hair. "I'm sure you'll be fine soon."

Snufkin's first instinct was too push his hand away, but he didn't. Instead he simply sat there looking down at his hands, avoiding looking at his father. He found that he didn't mind that much his father's touch. In fact, after a moment, it even became comforting to him.

"I've heard you were hurt while protecting the young Moomintroll from falling himself." He continued with a gentle expression that Snufkin only could remember seeing him wear around him and his mother. 

"I'm so proud of you." He finished, wrapping his arms around Snufkin's shoulders and pulling him close.

Snufkin stayed motionless at first, shocked at the sudden embrace, but ultimately, he returned it. Tears were pooling his eyes without his permission. He felt his father's hand rubbing silently his back in a comforting way.

"I kind of wish I had come sooner now." He murmured in Snufkin's hair.

When he pulled back, an arm still resting around his son's shoulder, he gave him a small smile.

"How's your memory?" He asked.

"It's getting better." Snufkin answered, wiping the remaining tears away from his eyes with his sleeves. "I'm remembering more of my past and the adventures I had with my friends but it's still filled with holes. And..." He hesitated for a moment looking everywhere but at his father. "I don't remember much of you two."

"It's alright." The Joxter said with a gentle smile. There was something else in his voice but Snufkin wasn't sure what it was, maybe a little of sadness. "At least you remember something. You just need more time to recover the rest of your memory."

Snufkin nodded silently. He was happy to be with his father, alone in the room. The atmosphere between them wasn't as heavy as it was when his mother was in the room with them.

"How did you get separated from her?" Snufkin suddenly asked, thinking back on what his mother had told him when she had arrived, alone, at MoominHouse.

The Joxter looked at him quietly for a moment before he seemed to understand what his son had just asked.

"I got distracted." He said with a smile.

"May I ask by what?" His son asked with curiosity.

"You can." He said with a mischievous grin.

He looked at Snufkin for a moment before he finally decided to answer properly.

"I saw an interesting bug."

"You just saw an interesting bug?" Snufkin asked in disbelief. Technically he knew that it shouldn't have surprised him but it still did.

"After that I saw a patch of beautiful flowers too." The Joxter said defensively.

Snufkin laughed at his defensive tone. Yes, that was right, his father always got distracted by everything. He couldn't blame him though, he had seemed to have inherited of this trait from his father. At least, he wouldn't get too distracted to loose sight of his objective.

He smiled a little to himself. His father had been able to make him feel so much more comfortable in just a few minutes. He was grateful for that. He felt as though some weight had lifted off of his chest.

He remembered now, he was always better around his father and a bit uncomfortable around his mother. He was just like his father. He liked to be free, to travel whenever and wherever he wanted. He needed to be outside. He preferred to take care of himself. He had thought at first that he was different from him because his father would still stay with the Mymble a lot of the time, but now he could see that he wasn't as different as he had thought. Like his father, he had found a place where he could stay, granted that he always stayed outside in his tent and went away come winter time. Even more now as he found that he didn't mind that much staying inside MoominHouse anymore.

"Anyway." His father said, getting his attention back to change the subject. "I'm surprised that you've not got crazy yet, being stuck inside and all."

"Me too to be honest." Snufkin replied, there was no reason not to be honest with his father.

"Still, it must be hard on you." Joxter said, curious and surprised by his son's honesty.

"It was." His father tilted his head in question. "It was harder at first but now it's fine."

"Oh?" Joxter gave him a knowing grin but didn't ask anything more about why.

Snufkin got startled when someone knocked at the door. He felt the Joxter squeezing his shoulder to reassure him. He felt a little embarrassed to show how easily startled he had become to his father, but his presence was almost as soothing as Moomin's.

His Mother opened the door and smiled at them as she came in.

"MoominMamma said she would bring you two lunch in a moment." She said as she closed the door behind her and approached to sit on the chair. "I see you two had some time to talk." She grinned.

She started to talk with them again, this time seeming to have remembered his lost of memory. He was pretty sure that someone must have reminded her while they ate.   
His suspicions were confirmed when MoominMamma came in a little later with a tray of food for him and his father and a smile. She had winked at him before she left the room. He quietly thanked her, thinking that he would have to express his gratitude properly later.

The Mymble's presence was still a bit suffocating but less thanks to his father. The Joxter was a big help for him. He would change the subject when it became too uncomfortable and squeeze his shoulder whenever he noticed that Snufkin tensed up or got lost in his thoughts.

 

At the end of the day, the Mymble excused herself, announcing that she had to go back home to take care of the children and free her friends from them. She kissed Snufkin's forehead, giving him one last hug and a 'get well soon' before she went on her way.

Surprisingly, the Joxter decided to stay for a little longer, wanting to make sure his son would be alright before he would go. Snufkin felt a little reassured to know his father would stay. It was good to see that he was caring about him. 

He could remember a little more how they got along after finally meeting each other. They had been awkward for the first few months but as time went by they had started to become more comfortable with each other. Snufkin found the Joxter a little too touchy as he wasn't really used to physical attention, at least from anyone other than Moomin. Joxter would often cross path with him when he was on his winter travel and he would join him for a bit before parting ways, giving his son all the time alone he needed.

 

The Joxter had told him that he would stay in a tree not far from the house and come by from time to time to spend time with him if he wanted to. He had said, not without a certain mischievous smile, that he would take the time he stayed in Moomin Valley to 'catch up' with MoominPappa. Snufkin could tell what were his real intentions and had chuckled a little. He knew the Joxter wouldn't come annoying him too much, giving him his space and some time to spend with his friends, but would still be there if he needed him.

 

Days later, at the end of the afternoon, when MoominMamma examined his leg, she announced that he could go out with his crutches as long as he didn't put too much weight on it and wouldn't stand for a too long period of time.

Relief came over him as listened to her instructions. He was finally going to be able to go outside, take in the fresh air of the end of summer and see the nature.

His father had smiled at the news and stroked his hair, making them more messy to annoy his son a little, although Snufkin hadn't minded too much, finding that it felt comforting and made him happy.

Moomin, him, seemed happy and relieved as well but also worried that he would hurt himself while walking too much or putting too much pressure on his leg.   
Little My and Moomin had already made up plans for him to go around the Valley and see some of the places he loved to go to.

 

That night, he had gone to sleep with a warm feeling in his chest. He was going to be free from his beautiful cage, not that he really considered MoominHouse as one, but he would finally be able to be out of this room. He also knew that he could count on his friends to guide him around and make sure he wouldn't go and hurt himself more.

He was so excited at the idea of being outside again that he had trouble falling asleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and for the kudos!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this new part. I had never written the Mymble and the Joxter before so hopefully my take on them isn't too bad, but anyway i'll still go with it. I know I didn't made the Mymble that important but it's mostly because I couldn't figure out how to make her interact with Snufkin.
> 
> Also LET JOXTER BE A GOOD DAD. I'm sure if he had the chance to be a dad he would have tried his best to be a good one and I'm sure Snufkin would feel closer to him than to his mother. 
> 
> Anyway! I'm actually really excited to finally be at the part where Snufkin can go outside even though I don't know how well I'll be able to write it. But still, he's FREE! Almost.
> 
> This story is coming to it's conclusion soon. Maybe one more chapter or two, depending on how much I will write.
> 
> Thank you again for reading this story and this note! You're the best!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I already finished this chapter!  
> Enjoy!

When he woke up that morning, it was a little later than what he had planned. He had slept a little too long after taking so much time to fall asleep. It was a little frustrating but he was still happy and excited.

Little My was leaning over him, wearing a beautiful grin. He smiled back at her, getting in a sitting position as she drew back.

"Finally awake huh?" She teased lightly.

"Hullo to you too Little My." He laughed.

"Hi." She grinned again. "Ready to go out?"

"Of course!" He replied, he could hear his own excitement in his voice. "But shouldn't we eat first and wait for Moomin to be awake?"

"I'll go wake him up!" She exclaimed, jumping off the bed and running out the door and up the stairs.

Snufkin was left alone in the room. He chuckled fondly to himself. She sure was something. She seemed even more excited than him. He hear noises from upstairs and could already imagine Little My jumping on Moomin too wake him up.

'Poor Moomintroll' Snufkin thought. Being waken up suddenly by Little My was certainly not the best way to start the day.

MoominMamma appeared in the doorway as they heard Little My's laughter. She looked at him and they shared a laugh.

"Good morning dear." She said with a warm smile. "Would you like to take your breakfast here or would you prefer to take it downstairs?"

He thought for a moment, sure he could stay in the room and be comfortable on the bed to eat but he already had done it so much. Now that he could finally walk he didn't have to.

"I'll take it downstairs if it's okay." He smiled back at her.

"Of course!" She beamed at him. "Do you need help getting down?"

Snufkin hesitated for a moment. He'd rather do things on his own but he knew it would be a little too hard for him to go down the flight of stairs on his own. After all it was only his first day of walking, with his crutches. He hadn't walked for so long, there was no way he face the stairs alone yet.

"If you don't mind." He said bashfully.

He didn't have to be ashamed of the fact that he needed help. He knew it would be safe to ask for help here. The Moomin family would never judge him or think less of him and he knew it.  
It felt safe and reassuring to have MoominMamma help him stand and slowly get down the stairs, step after step.

 

It was hard at first, when he had to stand and take the first few steps, but he quickly got used to the crutches. It wasn't the best but at least he could walk without feeling the pain shoot through his body as soon as he put a foot down.

MoominMamma help him until he sat at the table. She took his crutches and put them up against the wall behind him, telling him to ask her if he needed them. She didn't want them to bother him while he was eating.

They could hear Little My pressing Moomin to go down to eat. She seemed really eager to go out with Snufkin as soon as possible. She ran down the stairs and immediately took a sit close to her brother, ready to eat. Moomin took his time to go down the stairs groggily. He smiled at Snufkin and yawned a greeting as he settled in the other chair next him.

"Did you sleep well?" Snufkin asked Moomin as MoominMamma put a dish of pancakes in front of them.

"Yes." He answered with another yawn. "But I think I was a little too excited and I had a hard time falling asleep." He admitted when he caught the suspicious look of Snufkin. "And you? Did you sleep well?"

"Same as you." Snufkin chuckled quietly, taking a bite of his pancakes. "Seems like Little My's the only one to have had a good night's rest."

"I'm not like you!" She said, eating her plate much too fast for MoominMamma not to scold her. "I can be up and going without that much sleep in me! I'm not a sleepyhead like you two!"

"Since when?" Moomin snorted.

Moomin and Little My started arguing so Snufkin left then be.

'That almost seem normal' He smiled to himself.

He hadn't felt any kind of normality for the whole time he had to stay there. He had had the feeling that they were acting differently when he was stuck in his bed, more focused on making sure he was alright and would recover. It had help him in the end but it definitely felt much better having them act like they usually would again.

 

When they were done eating, Little My hurried them outside. Snufkin took his time, making sure to go slow as to not tire himself out, Moomin staying by his side just in case he stumbled or needed help. His sister seemed frustrated by how slow they went but kept quiet, seemingly remembering that it was just his first day of walking and that he should be extremely careful.

"So where are we going?" Snufkin asked after a moment while they walked down the path to the bridge.

"First, we'll show you where you camp most of the year." Moomin explained as Little My had already run ahead of them. "I don't know how much you remember but we thought it might be best to start from there." He continued timidly. "We took down your tent while you were recovering so it would be safe and nobody would steal anything. Don't worry, it's safe in the storage room."

"Oh. Well, thank you for that." Snufkin replied with a smile. "How thoughtful of you."

"It's nothing." Moomin said quietly, a slight shade of pink appearing on the white fur of his face.

They continued to walk until they reached it. Little My was already there, standing on one of the logs that Snufkin used as bench. She grinned at them and gave a teasing look at the still pink moomin.

Snufkin sat down on the log next to where his sister was standing, hands on her hips as if waiting for something. Moomin took a sit as well and started to talk about what he knew of Snufkin's routine. Little My kept making fun of everything he did and trying to embarrass the poor Moomintroll, talking about how the two could spend an entire day lazily fishing while napping against each other. She would find anything to make fun of them.

The mumrik didn't mind her mocking, however. He was enjoying the moment. The wind on his face felt so good. The bird song filled his ears with a beautiful and inviting melody. He felt so much better already, being outside and enjoying a good time with his friends.

Thanks to them, he could already remember more. He was sure of it now. Once they would be done showing him all the spots he loved, he would have fully recovered his memory, or at least almost fully. 

There was only one thing that kept making him a little nervous about the whole idea of recovering fully. He was afraid of what had happened for him to be so hurt that he lost his memory. Of course, Moomin had explained what had happened, but still the idea of remembering this very moment scared him.

He shook his head quietly, telling himself that everything would be fine. He didn't need to worry about it yet, he was still far from it after all. He should just enjoy what he has and he would see how it goes when it would get to it.

 

After an hour or so, they decided to go somewhere else. When Snufkin stood up, he noticed something moving in a tree near MoominHouse. It was his father, the Joxter, who seemingly just woke up. He jumped off his perch and waved at his son, giving him a lazy smile. Snufkin smiled back, before turning his attention back to his friends. 

He knew his father wanted to show him some places as well but, knowing how lazy he was, it probably would be after lunch and a nap or two. He still had plenty of time to spend with his friends for now.

 

Once again, Little My ran ahead of them towards their destination and Moomin stood by him. They met with Snorkmaiden and Sniff on the way and invited them to come along. Little My had announced that she wanted to show Snufkin the beach, though Moomin and him knew perfectly well that she just wanted to go for herself as the weather was still quite warm.

On the way, Snorkmaiden kept talking to them, expressing her relief to see Snufkin walking again even though it was still with crutches. They talked together about this and that, she told them about the Snork's progress on his inventions, complaining about how he wouldn't even eat if she wasn't there to remind him to and to cook for him. Snufkin took the occasion to ask her to thank her brother for him for the crutches.

Sniff had gone ahead a little. He had announced, when he heard of their plan to show Snufkin the places he usually like to go to, that he would show him his cave that he found so many years ago and then declared that he was going to search for any buried treasure.

Moomin seemed a bit annoyed at Sniff's obsession for treasures and his lack of interest in Snufkin's recovery. Snufkin, him, smiled softly. The normality of everything, now that he was out of bed, felt better as time passed.

"It's good to see you so happy." Snorkmaiden noted with a beaming smile. "It must be such a relief for you to be able to walk again."

"It is." Snufkin smiled back, hiding his face under the brim of his hat.

Moomin silently smiled at him, putting a paw on his shoulder.

They continued on their way and made it to the beach where Little My was already bothering the poor Sniff. They spend the morning there, playing together while Snufkin sat on the sand, watching them and enjoying the smell of the sea. They made sure to include him in their conversation and their activities. They showed him the cave, still making fun of Sniff who was still scared to go inside alone.

 

They spent a lovely time at the beach until their stomach told them it was time to head back for lunch. MoominMamma had said that she would make some fish stew for Snufkin.

On the way back home, Snufkin continued to marvel over how fast he was now recovering his memory. The holes of the ones that he had recovered when in Moominhouse were getting filled, making his mind less foggy. It felt so good.

 

After lunch, the Joxter joined them on their walk. He followed them from behind, taking his time. They went in the forest, stopping once to let Snufkin rest his leg a bit, until they reach a meadow full of flowers and a nearby river.

The Joxter hopped in a tree and rested on a branch to take a nap while the others sat in the flowers, already talking about how Snufkin discovered the place years ago and show it to them. While talking they all started to pick up some flowers and braiding them together to make flower crowns.

Moomin sat closer to Snufkin to show him how to make one as he seemed to have forgotten. Snufkin ignored how his heartbeat fastened at his proximity with his best friend to focus on following his instructions to make the flower crown.

 

He remembered that first time when he had showed the place to Moomin. It was then when they sat on the grass that Moomin had showed him how to braid flowers together to make a crown. They had spent the whole day in the meadow, making flower crowns, talking to each other and debating if they should show the place to the others or keep it secret for themselves. Obviously they had decided to tell the others, knowing fully well that Moomin would have a hard time keeping the secret from their friends and especially from Little My.

At some point they had started to doze off against each other. That had been the first time where Snufkin had accept to be this close to his best friend, allowing himself to rest his head on the moomin's shoulder, tucked comfortably under his chin. He had never been so comfortable before. After that he had allowed Moomin to be more clingy, accepting his hugs with less hesitation and letting him hold his hand.

Snufkin, from under the brim of his hat, smiled fondly at the memory.

 

Once they all had finished their crowns, they decided to go back home. The Joxter hopped off the tree and announced that he would steal his son for some times. Moomin looked a little worried at the idea of leaving Snufkin, still worrying that if he wasn't around him, he would go and hurt himself, but he agreed, knowing that the Joxter would take good care of him.

 

Snufkin and Joxter walked in a comfortable silence through the forest. Snufkin could recognize the path they were taking a little. He had been through it a lot before. It was the path leading to the Lonely Mountains. He always took it to go south every year. 

He quietly wondered where his father was taking him, hoping that it wouldn't be too far as he knew it would be difficult for him to go too far with his leg still not fully healed. He had walked so much that day that he was starting to get tired. His arms where starting to hurt a little from the crutches.

The Joxter must have noticed as he decided to take a break. Snufkin was thankful for it. He relax his legs and arms, sitting against a tree next to his father.

"Where are you taking me?" He asked, curious.

"To a place they don't know about." His father grinned.

Snufkin gave him a questioning look but his father wasn't ready to elaborate. He just held his grin, getting up to his feet.

"You'll see." He said as he extended his hand toward his son to help him stand.

Snufkin nodded, accepting his hand. They started walking again until they reached the mountains. Snufkin was silently hoping that his father wouldn't make him go up there, knowing that the steep paths would be much too difficult for him in his condition.

To his relief, Joxter started to lead him around the base of the mountain. Snufkin was trying to think about where his father could be taking him until they reached it. There, in front of them, was a cave. The Joxter went in so Snufkin followed. It was familiar, him and his father in this cave.

The two sat on the cold flood of the cave, Joxter looking at Snufkin as if he was waiting to see if his son would say anything. When he could only see confusion on Snufkin's face, he decided to talk.

"I don't suppose you recognize this cave yet?" He said with a soft smile.

"I don't know." Snufkin answered, a little unsure. "It does look rather familiar."

"It's where you like to come when you want to be left alone." His father explained. "Or when you get a little too overwhelmed."

"How come you know about this?" Snufkin asked, frowning.

"I found you here one day when I was coming to visit you." He put an arm around Snufkin's shoulder, pulling him closer so he would lean against him. "You were crying after you had a fight with the young Moomintroll over you winter's travel." His hand squeezed his shoulder a little. "I never saw you so upset."

"Ah, yes. I think I'm starting to remember a bit." Snufkin said thoughtfully. "He had asked me again if he could come and had lost his temper when I said no. He couldn't understand why I needed to be alone."

Snufkin stayed silent for a while. It was definitely not the most pleasant memory but he still had to remember. His father patted his shoulder comfortingly, waiting for him to continue.

"After our fight, I needed to be alone so I came here." He paused again before turning to look up at his father, a soft smile on his face. "Then you came in and wouldn't leave me alone until I stopped crying."

"What did you expect?" Joxter chuckled, pulling him even closer and stroking his air, making his hat fall on the ground next to him. "I wasn't going to let my son crying alone in a cave."

"Still you could have done better than to explain in detail your plan to annoy MoominPappa." Snufkin snorted, a beaming smile on his face.

Everything about this memory wasn't so bad. He didn't even know how his father had done it then, but he had made him laugh despite how upset he had been. He had been so grateful to him for that. He still was even now.

 

"So!" His father let go of him a little to look at him in the eyes, a lazy smile on his face. "We still have some time before dinner. How about we take a good nap?"

"I thought you didn't slept that much today." Snufkin laughed. "Why not. I could do with a little rest."

Joxter pulled Snufkin back against him, leaning his head on his son's and moving a little so they would be in a comfortable position to take their nap, but still close to each other. Snufkin was surprisingly pleased with the idea of taking a nap in his father's arms. He felt safe and warm. It didn't take him long to doze off tucked like that against his father.

 

They came back home just in time for dinner. Moomin seemed relieved to see them arrive.   
While they ate Little My even made fun of how Moomin had been worrying all afternoon that something would happen to the mumrik and that him and his father wouldn't come back home.

Snufkin smiled at the idea. He felt a little bad for making his friend worry so much but every reminder of how much he cared for him made him feel quite happy.

The Joxter joined in to tease the poor Moomintroll who tried to seek help from Snufkin. The young mumrik, however, just shrugged, smiling at him quietly.

 

They all went to sleep that night happy and satisfied with their day. Joxter even came by Snufkin's window to talk to him a little more until they were to exhausted and decided to go to bed, Snufkin in his bed and Joxter back in his tree, not far from Snufkin's window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter and for the kudos.
> 
> I would never have thought that I would write this one in like two days but I did.  
> I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I loved writing it.
> 
> I think the next chapter should be the last one. Be prepared because it's going to be 'fun'.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the end!
> 
> Warning : There will be a lot of hugs.  
> (and 'maybe' a bit of crying...)

After a few more days of walking with crutches and going around the valley with his friends and his father, Snufkin was finally ready to give up his crutches. His leg had fully healed and he could finally walk freely. Of course, since he was just starting to walk without any help, he had to be careful and to take a lot of breaks as he got tired easily.

 

On that day, Moomin had decided to go on a walk with Snufkin to the mountains as it was one of his favorite place and as he hadn't been able to go there yet because of his leg. They had managed to convinced the other that they would go alone as the path was rather steep and they didn't want to risk anything happening. Of course, it wasn't the only reason. The two just really wanted to be with each other for a while without anyone else around.

Moomin had seemed very hesitant when he had proposed Snufkin to go in the mountains. Snufkin could understand his worries as he knew it was where he had fallen. He was himself a little unsure if it was really a good idea, but he knew he would have to face it one day or the other.

 

Moomin took his hand in his as they started to walk on the steep path. Snufkin could feel it squeezing more and more as they followed the path, never enough to hurt him, just squeezing in a comforting way. It was like a reminder that they were safe and still with each other.

Snufkin felt his heartbeat quickening as they approached the place where everything had happened. His chest tightened. He felt a chill crawl down his back. He could feel himself shivering.

They stopped.

Moomin looked at Snufkin with concern. He could feel his friend shaking, his hand squeezing his absently. He couldn't see his face as he had pulled his hat down to hide it, but he was sure that there was fear in his eyes as they seemed to stare down the slightly damaged edge of the path.

Moomintroll's hand squeezed back as he gently called Snufkin's name. When his call wasn't acknowledged, he tugged slightly on his arm, resulting in the mumrik to jump, his face shooting toward Moomin in surprise. His eyes were wide and a little panicked.

Moomin's heart sunk at this sight. He pulled Snufkin in a tight hug without thinking, squeezing him tight in his arms. Snufkin let himself relax a little, leaning his head on his friend's furry shoulder and wrapping his arms around him, gently returning the embrace. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to regain his composure and stop the shivering.

Helped by the gentle motion of Moomin's hand rubbing circles on his back, he was able to calm down a bit. He finally pulled back a little, but kept their hand connected.

"I'm sorry." Moomin apologized quietly. "Maybe coming here wasn't a good idea."

"It's alright Moomin." Snufkin gave him a small smile, squeezing both paws in his hands. "I can't avoid coming here just because I fell once, right? And I need to remember everything despite how hard it is."

"Still. Maybe we should have waited a little more." Moomin replied, looking down at their connected hands.

"Maybe, but you know, the more you wait the harder it gets." Snufkin tried to reassure him but it was hard as he was still shaking slightly and was sure Moomin could still feel it.

He wasn't lying. He didn't especially wanted to remember this event, but it was necessary for him to recover all of his memories. He knew perfectly well that being afraid of it wouldn't make anything better. Now that he was remembering, he would just have to get over his new fear of height and of this exact path.

"I'm sorry." Moomin apologized again.

"For what?" Snufkin asked in confusion.

"For making you fall." The Moomin said quietly as tears started to fill his eyes and roll down his furry cheeks.

"It isn't you fault Moom-" He tried to reassure but was cut off by his friend.

"But it is!" He cried out, teary eyes finally meeting Snufkin's and paws squeezing tightly the hands they still held. "You fell because I was stupid and walk too close to the edge without thinking! You fell because you pulled me back up and couldn't move fast enough away from it before it collapsed! If I hadn't been so stupid you wouldn't have been hurt!" He sobbed, eyes filled with pain and remorse. "It's my fault that you got hurt and lost your memory. Because of me you were even stuck inside for months." He hiccuped. "It's all my fault! I'm so sorry!"

Snufkin gently pulled his hands away from Moomin's who just continued to sob in front of him, looking down at his feet, tears falling on the ground. He took Moomin's snout in his hands. His grip was firm but gentle. He forced his friend to look up at him again.

"It's not your fault." He said slowly, his expression serious. "Even if you did go too close to the edge, even if it is when I saved you from falling that I fell, it wasn't your fault. The ground just happened to collapse because it had been weakened by the past storm. It could have happened even if you hadn't gone towards the edge."

He tried his best to convey how serious he was about it, he wanted Moomin to know that there was no way that he would blame him for any of that. 

He remembered now, how he had tried to be careful on that day. He had known that the ground could be unstable. But when Moomin had started to walk to the edge, seemingly looking at something down the side of the mountain, he had grown curious and forgotten all about the dangerousness of where they were.

"It was no one's fault. If anyone, it would be mine, for not being careful and check the state of the ground before we walked on it and for not making sure you stayed on the path." He added, pulling Moomin in a shaky hug as he started to feel tears filling his eyes as well. "And If I had to save you again, even if it meant I'd be hurt, I'd do it again. No matter how many time it would happen I would always save you. I could never let you get hurt without doing everything I could to save you. I couldn't live with it."

He could feel his friend's shaky breath on his neck. He didn't want to cry but he couldn't hold back his own tears any longer, letting them roll down his cheeks and soaking Moomin's shoulder.

They held each other tightly until they calmed down. Moomin released him and wiped his own tears away before cupping Snufkin's face in his damp paws, wiping his friend's tears with his thumbs.

"You're right. It's nobody's fault. Not yours not mine." He said with a serious expression but still giving a him a small smile. "But if you-"

He stopped himself suddenly. He looked like he was about to cry some more so Snufkin put his hands on his friend's and rubbed the back of his friend's paws with his thumbs.

"If you had died, I would never have been able to forgive myself." Moomin sobbed, his eyes filling with tears again.

"I know Moomin. I'm sorry." Snufkin said, pulling his friend in another hug and rubbing his back gently. "I'm sorry to have worried you so much."

"It's okay." Moomin sniffed. "As long as you don't scare me like that ever again."

"I won't." Snufkin sniffed a chuckle.

"And as long as promise that you'll stay safe." Moomin continued, squeezing Snufkin against him.

"I promise." Snufkin replied, burying his face in Moomin's soft but wet fur.

They stayed like that for a long time, not wanting to let go of the other. Snufkin felt so comfortable against the moomin that he eventually started to doze off a little despite still standing.

When Moomin finally pulled back a little, he chuckled lightly as Snufkin got startled. This one fully pulled back, looking down with embarrassment and hiding his blushing face under the brim of his hat.

"Do you need to rest a little?" He smiled at the embarrassed mumrik in front of him.

"No no. I'm fine." Snufkin mumbled.

"Are you sure. You seem a little tired." Moomin asked teasingly although with a note of concern in his voice.

"I know!" Snufkin perked up suddenly. "How about we go to that cave, then I'll rest a little."

"Which cave?" Moomin asked a little confused.

"The one you said that you saw before the ground collapsed under us. I think I know a path that could lead us to it." Snufkin explained.

"Oh! Right. Well, let's go then." He said as he grabbed Snufkin's hand again.

 

They made their way down the path that Snufkin had found and went in the cave. After exploring it a little and making sure that it was safe without any animal hiding in it, they sat on the floor, close to each other, still holding hands.

They stayed quiet for a while. When Snufkin leaned against him, Moomin thought that he was falling asleep again. He was surprised when this one spoke quietly to him.

"I was serious you know." He started in a voice as quiet as a whisper, as if, if he talked too loud, the words themselves would hurt them. "About how I would always save you from danger if I could, even if it means I'd be hurt again."

"I know." Moomin quietly said as he leaned his head on Snufkin's.

"I could never let anything happen to you." He continued pressing his head a little more against Moomin's shoulder.

With that, he seemed to fall asleep against the moomin. Moomin looked at his sleeping face with a fond expression. The idea of Snufkin getting hurt again because of him was painful and sad but he knew that Snufkin would never let him get hurt no matter what. He could trust him to do what he want and that would be to go rescue him. It was also a bit reassuring for him as he was now sure of how much the mumrik cared about him.

He relaxed a little, trying to empty his mind, and slowly dozed off, head still resting on his friend's.

 

He was drawn back to reality when he felt a pressure against his chest and shoulder. Snufkin was still sleeping but seemed to be having a nightmare. He had thrown his arms around Moomin in his sleep and his hands were clutching his fur. His breathing was heavy, it almost sounded as painful as the first few days after...

Moomin wasn't sure if he should wake up his friend. So, instead, he carefully wrapped his arms around Snufkin, gently pulling him closer. Unfortunately, it only managed to startle awake the mumrik in his arms. At least, now that he was awake, Moomin could help him calm down and comfort him.

Snufkin was panting. His eyes were wide and panicked. Tears found their way to his eyes and down his cheeks again. He was shaking something awful against his friend.

It hurt Moomin to see him so shaken up by his nightmare. He was pretty sure he knew what this one had been about, which broke his heart even more.

He held him as close as one could. He cuddled him and whispered reassurance in his hair. Even when his breathing evened out, his shaking lessened and his tears stopped falling, he still kept holding him close to him.

"Are you okay?" He asked Snufkin after a few minutes of silence.

"Yeah." Snufkin replied, his voice still shaking. "I'm sorry about that."

Moomin shook his head against his. "It's alright. What was your nightmare about? If you want to talk about it of course." He asked timidly.

Snufkin stayed silent for a long moment, making Moomin think that he wouldn't want to talk about it yet.

"About the fall." He whispered, hands tightening around Moomin's fur. "Except that this time I-" He sobbed, muffled by Moomin's shoulder. "I wasn't quick enough. I watched you fall and then I fell too."

"It's alright." Moomin tried to sooth him as he could feel fresh new tears against his already soaked shoulder. "It was only a nightmare. We're alright."

 

It took some times but Moomin was able to calm Snufkin. When this one pulled back from him, Moomin wasn't really expecting him to say anything. He looked at the moomin with his still red eyes, a serious but fond expression on his face.

"Thank you for everything Moomin." He simply said. "You know, this whole thing made me realize how much I loved you." He continued, his face becoming red.

Moomin held his breath, staring at him with wide eyes. He could feel his own face reddening. Was he dreaming? Did he just heard what he thought he heard? Was he meaning what he said?

"I love you." It was quieter than a whisper. So quiet, in fact, that he would never had caught it had he not been listening carefully to the mumrik.

Snufkin looked away suddenly, feeling very embarrassed. He entirely pulled away from Moomin, sitting back next to him and pulling his knees to his chest. He looked everywhere but the moomin.

There was an awkward and heavy silence between them for a moment before the original shock of Moomin left place to a wave of joy and affection.

He launched himself at his friend, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him in another tight embrace. Snufkin yelp in surprise before he returned the hug.

"I love you too." Moomin whispered softly in his ears.

He put all his feelings in his voice, making sure to convey all his love for Snufkin in it so this one wouldn't doubt him his feelings.

When they let go of each other again, Moomin bumped his nose against Snufkin in a proper Moominkiss, making the two of them blush more, before speaking again.

"Should we head back home?" He asked, getting to his feet and grabbing Snufkin's paw to help him up. "It's probably almost time for lunch. I think Mamma will be worried if we take too long."

"Yes. You're right." He replied, stumbling a little as he got up only to be held back by Moomin's paws. "If we take too long she'll probably send my father to find us." They chuckled a little.

"Are you going to be okay?" Moomin asked as he noticed that Snufkin seemed to have trouble walking again. "Does your leg hurt again?"

"Yes yes. I'll be fine. I must have moved it too fast when you woke me up. It'll wear off in a bit don't worry." Snufkin explained as he started to walk towards the opening of the cave, helping himself with the wall of the cave.

Moomin frowned as he watched his friend make his way out. Then he made a decision that he knew Snufkin wouldn't be too fond of, but he was pretty sure he wouldn't stop him either. He walked after him, putting a paw on his shoulder to stop him and get his attention.

"It'll be too hard for you to walk on the mountain path like that." He said. "And I'm sure if you keep putting pressure on your leg the pain won't go away for a while."

Snufkin looked at him, confused and suspicious. "Then how will I walk back home?" He asked.

Moomin smiled mischievously at him before he slid his arms under Snufkin's shoulders and knees, lifting him up against his chest. He smiled proudly at the mumrik who looked at him, eyes wide in shock and disbelief.

"Now we can go back and you don't need to walk." He hummed, satisfied. "And you can rest that leg of yours until we're back home."

Snufkin stayed silent as he nodded and tugged the brim of his hat over his eyes but not enough for Moomin not to see him smile.

 

They went back, through the mountain and the forest, Moomin carrying Snufkin gently and carefully in his arms.   
Eventually, he accepted to let him down at the edge of the forest, understanding how embarrassing it would be for Snufkin to be carried all the way home and in front of the others. He made sure that Snufkin's leg wasn't hurting him anymore before that started to walk back to the house, hand in hand.

With Snufkin having finally fully recovered his memory and the use of his leg, life came back to normal for the inhabitants of the MoominHouse and their friends.   
Snufkin was able to go back to his tent, but occasionally, he would still trade his own sleeping bag for the comfort of Moomin's bed. 

They all were able to enjoy the rest of the year without any incident, Snufkin spending a lot of time with his father and with Moomin until winter came and he went on his yearly trip south, accompanied for a while by the Joxter before this one went on his own way.

When he came back the next spring, he was ready and eager to spend the year with his friends and his dear Moomintroll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading this fic and for all the kudos and comments.  
> I really hope that you enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it, despite how much trouble I had at first.
> 
> I'm sorry if this ending is a bit clumsy and for the amount of hugs and crying. I just love to imagine those two hugging and comforting each other. I didn't mean to make them cry so much but you know how it is, you think you're going to make it one way only to change it in the middle of it.
> 
> Hopefully you still got to enjoy it, after all after so much emotion isn't a good ending even better?
> 
> Thank you again for reading and for those of you who waited patiently for me to update since the firsts chapters.   
> You're all amazing!
> 
> Now you got to excuse me as I jump on the writing of one of the many other ideas that came to me while I was writing this fic.


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